AFRICAN WILD DOG

The African Wild Dog

African wild dogs are the most successful large predators on the African continent — and yet they're one of the least celebrated. With a hunting success rate exceeding 80% (compared to lions at 30%), wild dogs are devastatingly effective hunters that take down prey two to three times their weight through cooperative teamwork and relentless pursuit.

But the numbers are grim. Across all of Africa, there are roughly 1,400 mature wild dogs — adults capable of breeding. These are spread across dozens of countries, but most populations consist of fewer than 50 individuals — too small to be genetically viable in the long term.

The African wild dog's greatest threat isn't competition with lions or hyenas. It's us. Farmers shoot them as pests. Roads bisect their territories. Disease from domestic dogs spreads through their packs.