Why African Wild Dogs Are Endangered

Wild dogs were once widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Today viable populations exist in only a few countries (as shown in red above; the yellow circle towards the top indicates probably existing). Habitat fragmentation and encroachment, persecution (conflict with livestock and game farmers), accidental deaths by snares set for game, speeding vehicles, and infectious diseases (rabies and distemper) are the main causes for their decline.

The needs of a growing human population place ever-increasing pressure on finite natural resources, shrinking the living space not only for wild dogs, but other wildlife, making conflict inevitable, and contributing to biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss is also exacerbated by climate change. These two interrelated problems threaten life on Earth. Overconsumption is another major threat. It has been estimated that we are currently overusing our planet's natural resources by at least 75% or the equivalent of living off 1.75 Earths. In the past half century, the average size of wildlife populations has fallen dramatically by 73%.