Scientific name: Lycaon pictus

IUCN Status: Endangered (at very high risk of extinction in the wild)

Habitat: Forest, savannah, shrublands and grasslands

The African Wild Dog (a.k.a. African Painted Dog, African Hunting Dog, Cape Hunting Dog) has disappeared from much of its former range across sub-Saharan Africa. It now remains only in Southern Africa and the Southern part of East Africa.

The largest remaining populations occur in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park. The continental population is estimated to be between 2000 – 3000, with populations continuing to decline.

Major threats faced by the African Wild Dog include ongoing conflict with human activities, persecution, infectious disease and habitat fragmentation.

Conservation priorities include (compiled from IUCN Redlist of threatened species):

1. to maintain and expand connectivity of habitat available to wild dogs;

2. to work with local people to reduce deliberate killing of wild dogs in and around these areas;

3. to establish effective techniques for protecting small wild dog populations from serious infections such as rabies and distemper;

4. to carry out surveys to establish the status of other potentially important populations;

5. to continue long-term monitoring.

See African Wild Dogs on one of our Kenya Safaris or Tanzania Safaris: