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African Wild Dog Facts

Michael Bryan

Written by Michael Bryan

Modified & Updated: 30 Dec 2023

Sherman Smith

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

Expert Verified Editorial Guidelines
African Wild Dog facts

The African wild dog is one of the world’s most endangered animals on our planet. They distinguish themselves with their long legs and irregular fur patterns. In the wild, they live in packs and are remarkably social, helping each member of the pack when weak or sick. When hunting food, they can go up to 20 members working together. Unfortunately, African wild dogs are gravely endangered due to ongoing habitat fragmentation, conflict with human activities, infectious disease, and are mostly overpowered by the lions. But what is so fascinating about this creature is that they fully help each other out whether it’s in the form of sharing food, or sometimes, even risking their own lives to help and defend their pack against predators. Learn more about this selfless animal with these 30 African wild dog facts.

Quick Facts
Essential Facts
Interesting Facts
  1. The African wild dog is native to Sub-Saharan Africa.
  2. The African wild dog is a canine or a biological family of dog-like carnivorans.
  3. They are the biggest wild canine in Africa.
  4. They have become amongst the critically endangered species in Africa.
  5. From roughly 500,000 in the wild, the African wild dog’s population is now down to 3,000 to 5,000.
  1. The African wild dog has a hyper-carnivorous diet or a diet that consumes more than 70% meat.
  2. They prey on a wide variety of animals, including warthogs, gazelles or other antelopes, rats, wildebeest calves, and even birds.
  3. The remaining population of the African wild dog is in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Tanzania.
  4. They usually roam in the open plains and sparse woodlands.
  5. The African wild dog is a highly social animal and they love to live in packs.
  6. They practice separate dominance hierarchies for males and females.
  7. Compared to other social carnivores, it’s the females rather than the males who separate from the natal pack once sexually mature.
  8. Its gestation period is about 70 days and the mother can give birth to a litter of around 10 puppies.
  9. They are able to breed upon reaching their sexual maturity of between 12 to 18 months.
  10. The predators of the African wild dogs are lions, hyenas, and humans.
  1. They are the only extant members of the genus Lycaon.
  2. Human persecution, habitat fragmentation, and outbreaks of disease are the most common reasons for its population decline.
  3. According to IUCN Red List, they became endangered since the 1990s.
  4. African wild dogs used to live in over 35 countries.
  5. They have long legs and big lungs that help them run long distances without exhaustion.
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