African Wild Dog

One of the most critically endangered carnivores in Africa, the African Wild Dog is the largest of its family on the continent. The bulkiest and most solidly built of African canids, it gradually loses its fur as it ages, with older specimens being almost hairless. 

This species lives in packs dominated by a monogamous breeding pair. The female has between 2-20 pups which are cared for by the entire pack. A wildly social animal, the African Wild Dog is a specialized hunter of antelopes, which it catches by chasing its prey to exhaustion. 

It has even been observed “rallying” before setting out to hunt with individual dogs “sneezing” to vote on departure. The sneeze is characterized by a short, sharp exhale through the nostrils. If this act is initiated by the dominant dog in the pack, then around three sneezes by other individuals guarantees departure on the hunt.

Most commonly found in savanna and arid zones, the African Wild Dog is a favorite prey of lions. Their population density in any given area tends to be lower where lions are more abundant.