Amazing African Animals: Amazing African Wild Hunting Dog

The African Wild Hunting Dog Scientific Name Lycaon pictus is one of the most dangerous dog breeds which not only attacks any other animal in the wild but can take as many other animals in the African Savannah with their great numbers while they are in their hunting grounds. The Lycaon pictus means "painted wolf-like animal in Latin language and as the cape hunting dog you get that the this African wild dog is listed by the IUCN as threatened by extinction.

With many of the African wild dogs numbers due to animal hunting, animal diseases, parching and loss of natural breeding grounds and the encroachment of man by fencing most of these dogs routs, many of the African wild dogs families have ended up being fragmented and hence a decline in the African wild dogs population as one of the greatest animals of the African Savannah.

African Wild hunting Dogs Animal FACT File:

Swahili Name: Mbwa Mwitu

Scientific Name: Lycaon pictus

Size: 30 inches at the shoulder

Weight: 55 to 70 pounds

Lifespan: 10 to 12 years

Habitat: Dense forest to open plains

Diet: Carnivorous/forager

Gestation: 21/2 months

Predators: Humans

The beautiful morning for the African hunting dogs

Just like human beings the African wild hunting dogs are very good with their social norms. The chain of command in the family is as important as a day begins with greeting the African wild dog’s greeting ceremony. These beautiful African wild hunting dogs will sing, talk murmur or whisper in their own dog language just like any other dangerous or snake, elephant or tiger in the woods.

The African savannah plateau is filled with these great breathtaking dog sounds early in the as the set off to roam the vast African jungles and wilderness for the days dangerous catch which comes along the way. On their way to their hunting grounds, the African wild hunting dogs would show affection by running shoulder to shoulder with enthusiasm pausing here and there at the same time smelling the air. For the little ones and the juveniles, their hunting comes is accompanied with diving and jumping on one another just as part of their passage or rights.

These great hunters of Africa would kiss one another, licking and poking at the corners of each other's mouths. But this is really a food-begging behavior that plays an important role in social bonding within the pack.

African wild dog Lycaon pictus pictus Physical Character

These African wild dogs are similar in size and shape to medium-large domestic dogs, but the African wild dogs are only distantly related to other canids. The African wild dogs mottled coloring and large rounded ears make them unmistakable. The African wild dogs’ muzzles are black and the forehead has a black line in the middle of it. These African dogs’ large heads resembles that of a hyena. Legs are long and slender. The African wild dog feet have only four toes, and no dewclaws. The tail has a white plume at the tip

No two dogs have identical coat patterns of white, black and tan; yet close relatives are recognizably similar in coloration. The body length is about 40 inches with a 12-16 inch tail. Animals weigh a maximum of 66 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females, and animals from Southern Africa are slightly larger than their northern relatives.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT:

Many parts of Africa have a great variety of animals and the African Wild Dogs are savanna inhabitants just as the big five and their normal range is from south of the Sahara Desert from countries of Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zaire except in forested areas. There are around 3,500 to maximum of 5,500 wild dogs both in their natural habitats and in captivity

The African wild dog natural Behavior in the African Savannah:

African Wild Dogs are very social animals that live in packs of 5-20 individuals; rarely as many as 60. They fill the ecological role or niche of the wolf in Africa. One of the most efficient of all predators, they do not hesitate to attack small hares or large zebras. They specialize in preying on medium-sized antelope including Thomson's gazelle, impala, kob, lechwe and springbok. This species does not hunt in relays but rather depends on endurance that is greater than their prey. They can run at about 35 m.p.h. for 3 miles or more.

People who go on an African safari are always happy to have a glimpse of these great African hunting wild dogs. Just like the African hyena or the stripped and spotted hyenas, these African hunting dogs are just as good nature controllers in making sure that the African savanna natural habitat remains clean and healthy. These African wild dogs will also always spot or smell the sick animals. Whether the dangerous lion sitting under the acacia tree or just the basking hippopotamus along the great Nile region can be attacked. These African wild “painted wolf-like animal will prey on the sick animals and the rest nature takes its course.

They hunt mainly around dawn and dusk because they rely on sight when hunting. The pack will hunt at least once a day. If there are youngsters present at the kill, the adults will allow them to eat first unlike lions. The African wild dogs do not defend territories except in the vicinity of occupied dens. Only the dominant breeding pair urine mark. There is very little overt aggression among pack members. The social arrangement is extraordinary because they are the exact opposite of those in most other social mammals such as lions and elephants.

With a lot of competition for animal food and survival for the fittest, Many animal attacks take place as far as the big cats are concerned and for the African wild dog to make it, plenty of food is just a must and the pack has to stay together. The African Wild Dogs with all odds against it, you get that these African dogs live in the wild beyond 9-10 years if they are lucky to pull through all the dangers the African savannah with its great beasts have to offer.

African wild dog diet as a scavenger and hunter:

The African wild dogs hunt cooperatively which sometimes allows them to bring down their prey in seconds. Buffaloes, zebras, impalas, kudus, are just some of the prey they will no t hesitate to attack and have it for their dinner or lunch. Whether the animal attacked is dead or alive, these African wild dogs can consume their prey whether it is still alive and will maraud it and finish every pound of flesh within seconds. African Wild Dogs are exclusively carnivorous. They eat no plant food, and rarely consume carrion or return to an earlier kill.

African wild dog reproduction in the wild

African wild dog babies develop for 72 days before the mother gives birth in an underground den. As many as 12 African wild dog pups may be born in a litter; a majority of those being male, but only a few usually survive.

The African wild dog pups at birth are all black and white. The tan patches develop from the black areas beginning in the second month. The pups eyes open at 3 weeks, but they will not emerge from the den until they start to eat solid food regurgitated by the adults.

The African wild hunting dog alpha female can have up to 21 pups in one litter. This is amazing and not like any other dog species. The rest of the wild dogs in the pack help to take care for the little puppies in the den. The dogs which don’t go for hunting will feed the young African dogs until they are have grown enough to help defend themselves against predators like lions and spotted hyenas

Only the dominant male and female in the pack (the alpha pair) reproduce. The entire African wild dog pack is needed to help feed the large litter of young that are dependent for 12-14 months. The adults eat at their kill site, then return to the den and regurgitate meat as food for the young. Adult males stay with the birth pack. Unlike other animals, females between 14 and 30 months of age will leave their natal pack in groups of littermate sisters. They will eventually join a different male kin line.

At the moment the biggest problem with the se dangerous African wild dogs is that human encroachments are tending to limit the size of wild dog habitant it forces the African wild dogs to mix up with top carnivores (such as leopards, Lions, cheetahs and Hynes). As we, all know that African dangerous wild hunting dogs have no natural predators but forcing them to live in the same natural habitat in the African savannah with these dangerous big five lions, leopard and hyenas together will worsen the situation and increase many animal attacks. These dangerous African dogs will be forces to compete for breeding grounds and feeding grounds and this unwanted competition will steer up one of the major threats to the wild dogs.

The African wild dogs get disease such as canine distemper and rabies. These diseases are very common to the African wild dogs and pose a great threat if there is no immediate help or care when there is need as far as animal protection and conservation of the African wild dogs (Lycaon pictusis) is concerned. How the African wild dogs got these diseases is just a puzzle. You find that people from all walk of life venturing in many of the African wild dogs natural habitat may have spread it from their domestic dogs and brought it to the wild dogs.

How far is the extend of the wild dogs, well due to movement of people and animals in any given natural habitat, the diseases carried by these African wild dogs can spread in the national parks and game parks of many African countries which share borders and attack all other animal species as a whole.

A lot is already being done about the African wild dogs. You find that the African Wildlife dog Conservancy is doing its best to help protect and conserve these beautiful African hunting dogs and many other organizations and individuals are venturing in making a better place of r these beautiful dogs which are free to roam the African grasslands as well.

Amazing African Wild Hunting Dog

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