ianmichaelthomas
African Wild Dog
These striking and handsome dogs are located right next to the lion park, which is the African plains theme.
It amazes me how many adults confuse these dogs with hyenas! The laughing hyena which is correctly identified as a competitor to the lion is much bigger and stouter than these dogs. In fact, they really don't even superficially look alike.
These African wild dogs are classified as extremely endangered - they have been wiped out from vast tracts of southern and eastern Africa, by land clearing, and they are at risk to disease, such as canine distemper.
The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family, found only in Africa, especially in scrub savanna and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the African Hunting Dog, the Cape Hunting Dog, the Spotted Dog, or the Painted Wolf in English, Wildehond in Afrikaans, and Mbwa mwitu in Swahili. It is the only species in the monotypic genus, Lycaon.
Adults typically weigh 17-36 kilograms (37-79 pounds). A tall, lean animal, it stands about 30 inches (75 cm) at the shoulder, with a head and body length averaging about 40 inches (100cm) and a tail of 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm). Animals in southern Africa are generally larger than those in the eastern or western Africa.
It is an extremely efficient and effective group hunter. Nearly up to 80% of pack hunts end in a kill. They co-operate and co-ordinate as a pack, and are extremely durable athletes.
They pursue their prey in a long, open chase. During pursuit, it may reach speeds of up to 45 mph. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill. After a successful hunt, hunters regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den during the hunt, such as the dominant female and the pups. They will also feed other pack members such as the sick, injured or very old that cannot keep up.
The African Wild Dog's main prey varies among populations, but always centers around medium-sized antelope such as the Impala. While the vast majority of its diet is made up of mammal prey, it sometimes hunts large birds, especially Ostriches.
There were once about 500,000 African Wild Dogs in 39 countries, and packs of 100 or more were not uncommon. Now there are only about 3,000-5,500 in less than 25 countries. It is primarily found in eastern and southern Africa, mostly in the two remaining large populations associated with the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and the population centered in northern Botswana and eastern Namibia.
The African Wild Dog is endangered by habitat loss and hunting. It uses very large territories and it is strongly affected by competition with larger carnivores that rely on the same prey base, particularly the Lion and the Spotted Hyena.
It is also killed by livestock herders and game hunters. Most of Africa's national parks are too small for a pack of wild dogs so the packs expand to the unprotected areas which tend to be ranch or farm land. Ranchers and farmers protect their domestic animals by killing the wild dogs. Like other carnivores, the African Wild Dog is sometimes affected by outbreaks of viral diseases such as rabies, distemper and parvovirus.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
African Wild Dog
These striking and handsome dogs are located right next to the lion park, which is the African plains theme.
It amazes me how many adults confuse these dogs with hyenas! The laughing hyena which is correctly identified as a competitor to the lion is much bigger and stouter than these dogs. In fact, they really don't even superficially look alike.
These African wild dogs are classified as extremely endangered - they have been wiped out from vast tracts of southern and eastern Africa, by land clearing, and they are at risk to disease, such as canine distemper.
The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family, found only in Africa, especially in scrub savanna and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the African Hunting Dog, the Cape Hunting Dog, the Spotted Dog, or the Painted Wolf in English, Wildehond in Afrikaans, and Mbwa mwitu in Swahili. It is the only species in the monotypic genus, Lycaon.
Adults typically weigh 17-36 kilograms (37-79 pounds). A tall, lean animal, it stands about 30 inches (75 cm) at the shoulder, with a head and body length averaging about 40 inches (100cm) and a tail of 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm). Animals in southern Africa are generally larger than those in the eastern or western Africa.
It is an extremely efficient and effective group hunter. Nearly up to 80% of pack hunts end in a kill. They co-operate and co-ordinate as a pack, and are extremely durable athletes.
They pursue their prey in a long, open chase. During pursuit, it may reach speeds of up to 45 mph. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill. After a successful hunt, hunters regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den during the hunt, such as the dominant female and the pups. They will also feed other pack members such as the sick, injured or very old that cannot keep up.
The African Wild Dog's main prey varies among populations, but always centers around medium-sized antelope such as the Impala. While the vast majority of its diet is made up of mammal prey, it sometimes hunts large birds, especially Ostriches.
There were once about 500,000 African Wild Dogs in 39 countries, and packs of 100 or more were not uncommon. Now there are only about 3,000-5,500 in less than 25 countries. It is primarily found in eastern and southern Africa, mostly in the two remaining large populations associated with the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and the population centered in northern Botswana and eastern Namibia.
The African Wild Dog is endangered by habitat loss and hunting. It uses very large territories and it is strongly affected by competition with larger carnivores that rely on the same prey base, particularly the Lion and the Spotted Hyena.
It is also killed by livestock herders and game hunters. Most of Africa's national parks are too small for a pack of wild dogs so the packs expand to the unprotected areas which tend to be ranch or farm land. Ranchers and farmers protect their domestic animals by killing the wild dogs. Like other carnivores, the African Wild Dog is sometimes affected by outbreaks of viral diseases such as rabies, distemper and parvovirus.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia