Wild Dog - Lycaon pictus

Wild Dog - Lycaon pictus (Temminck, 1820).

IUCN STATUS CATEGORY Endangered

HABITAT Found from areas of bush, open plains habitat, and lowland forests.

GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD The Wild Dog has undergone a dramatic recent decline in population to the stage that few countries now support viable populations. Wild Dogs are still moderately abundant in southern and eastern Africa.

CURRENT POPULATION Between 2,000 and 5,000 animals (Fanshawe et al., 1991).

SIZE Head and body length 76 to 112cm. Tail length 30 to 41cm.

WEIGHT 17 to 36kg (mean of 25kg).

AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY About 11 years.

NORMAL DIET Large ungulates including antelope, gazelle and wildebeest.

NORMAL LIFESTYLE Wild Dogs live in socially complex packs composed of several related adult males and one or more related adult females originating from another pack. Often only the dominant bitch will rear pups successfully.

PREVIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD Until recently the Wild Dog was distributed throughout much of Africa.

REASONS FOR DECLINE Directed hunting is the leading cause of decline. Wild Dogs are undeservedly perceived as voracious killers of game and livestock. Disease including canine distemper, rabies and anthrax have decimated many populations.

CURRENT THREATS Hunting, poisoning and disease remain the key threats to this species. Secondary threats include gene loss through small population size, competition with other predators (lions and hyaenas), and road kills especially in protected areas.

CONSERVATION PROJECTS The IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group completed a detailed Action Plan for the conservation of the Wild Dog in 1990 (Ginsberg & Macdonald, 1990); an updated plan is currently underdevelopment. There are several continuing or recently initiated studies towards the conserve of Wild Dog populations. The Wild Dogs in the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) have been monitored since the 1960s. Kruger National Park (South Africa) is home to another long-term study; while population trends of wild dogs in Botswana are being assessed. Reintroduction programmes for Wild Dogs into an area around Mkomazi, Tanzania and also into the Etosha National Park (Namibia) are under way. The Wild Dog is legally protected in many areas but enforcement is nominal.

SPECIAL FEATURES There are very few reports of Wild Dogs attacking people.

REFERENCES

Fanshawe, J.H., Frame, L. & Ginsberg, J.R. 1991. The wild dog-Africa's vanishing carnivore. Oryx 25(3): 137-146.

Ginsberg, J.R. & Macdonald, D.W. 1990. Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs. An Action Plan for the Conservation of Canids. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland. pp.17-20.

Nowak, R.M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. 5th ed. Vol.2. John Hopkins University Press, London. pp.1061-1062.

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