This blog was written by Amy Jefferson, a Bushwise International Field Guide student. Each student takes a turn as camp manager, and writing a blog is part of the experience.
Facts:
African wild dogs are highly endangered animals with an estimated population of 6,600 with their current population decreasing. They have incredible hearing, with muscles allowing their large ears to swivel. They only have 4 toes per foot, unlike other dogs which have 5 toes. They can run up to 70 kilometres per hour. They generally live up to 11 years old in the wild. They communicate by touch, actions and vocalisation.
They have a success rate of up to 80% when hunting due to their high levels of communication, they are among the most effective predators in the world. To put that into perspective, lions have a one-in-four success rate. This is nearly all a result of their pack coordination, which is still a rich source of zoological research. It was only recently discovered that they use sneezes to ‘vote’ on hunting decisions.
Territories:
Wild dogs spend their days prowling huge amounts of territory, with home ranges of up to several hundred square kilometres. To put that into perspective, Greater London is home to 8.8 million people, but an area that size could only support one or maybe two Wild Dog packs.
Pack social structure:
African wild dogs are seasonal breeders, in South Africa pups are usually born mid winter, after a gestation period of 70 days. Litters can be 12 pups or more, the female cannot suckle offspring for too long. From the age of 3 weeks, milk is supplemented with regurgitated meat brought to the pups by other pack members. Their pups are given priority over dominant pack members when feeding. Packs average around 15 members and have been known to sometimes go up to 40. Before the recent population decline, packs of up to 100 were recorded.
Non-breeding adults sacrifice their own nourishment to ensure the pups in the group get enough to eat and grow. The packs typically hunt antelopes and will also tackle much larger prey. They are extremely social and known to help the other members of the pack when they are weak or sick. Once mature, males stay with their original pack while the females generally seek a new pack. They are extremely loyal to its species and habitat.
To form a pack:
To form a pack you need a few brothers and a few sisters who are NOT related and put them in an enclosure together and they will decide who becomes the alpha male and alpha female. Only the alpha female and male will mate and have pups but the whole pack will look after the pups. If they do not form any connections together, when they are sedated you can rub one on the other and when they wake up they will automatically be drawn together because their scents will be on each other.
Threats:
Unfortunately, they are often hunted and killed by farmers who fear for their livestock. They are also threatened by shrinking space to roam as well as susceptibility to diseases – these diseases include rabies and distemper from coming into contact with domestic animals. The IUCN reports that the population level of African wild dogs fluctuates but is in a likely irreversible decline. Genetic inbreeding may be the possible cause of the Kruger National Park wild dog’s life expectancy of only 6 years.
Conservation:
African wild dogs are among many species that benefit from the creation of protected wildlife corridors that help connect their increasingly fragmented habitats. Conservation groups are also working on initiatives that reduce conflict between humans and African wild dogs. These include awareness initiatives that dispel myths about the animals as well as educational initiatives that offer farmers training in livestock management techniques that prevent depredation
Learn more about Bushwise courses and find out how you can contribute to conservation efforts and make a real impact.
