African wild dog, fill a similar niche in Africa that the wolf does in much of the northern hemisphere. Hunting as a pack, and running greater prey down until exhaustion...
African wild dog
Whether there were originally multiple African wild dog subspecies, these have not been retained. There were once 500,000 wild dogs roaming Africa. There are currently just 6600, spread across Africa, though many of the populations are unlikely to be genetically healthy long-term.
The Kruger wild dog population swings between extremes. In 2007 there were about 350 within the Limpopo transfrontier park. in 2022 there are thought to be about 800 wild dogs in the same area.
The Serengeti wild dog population disappeared during 1995 – wild dogs are highly sociable animals, so illness can wipe out populations. Wild dogs appear to have help on and there are thought to be about 120 at the moment. Inoculation of the domestic dog population surrounding the park will hopefully stop this happening again, and the population will grow back to the former highs -where packs 100 strong could be seen chasing the Wildebeest migration across the plains.
The largest single population lives in the Selous reserve (much of this reserve is now classed as the Nyerere national park) with a population of perhaps as many as 1000.
There are thought to be about 700 wild dogs in northern Botswana.
There are small populations all over Africa, such as 100 in Chad, but whether these survive long-term is another question. The map below shows the huge number of small populations all over Africa. The total african wild dog population is thought to be around 7000, with 700 packs.
There are 5 subspecies that have been recognized:
- Cape wild dogs
- East African wild dog
- West African wild dog- The West African wild dog used to be widespread from western to central Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria. Now only two subpopulations survive: one in the Niokolo-Koba National Park of Senegal and the other in the W National Park of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. It is estimated that 70 adult individuals are left in the wild.
- Somali wild dog- The Somali wild dog is thought to be extinct in Somali, though some are thought to survive in Ethiopia.
- Chadian wild dog- The only part of this population that lives on protected land, are found within the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park in the Central African republic.
African wild dog escape in the West Midlands Safari Park and what are they going to do?
- Tim
- March 8, 2020
African wild dog are some of the most efficient hunters on the planet. Significantly smaller than lion or leopard, often even than cheetah, African wild dogs are astoundingly efficient when...
One of the four remaining viable west African Lion habitat has been badly treated but perhaps it is now on the mend.
- Tim
- May 22, 2022
West African lions are heavily endangered with just 400 members remaining. While the west African population of the Asiatic lion is less at risk than the Gir forest population -...
Back in the early 1800s the North African wolf was defined as a separate species, why did this wild canid get redefined as a golden jackal?
- Tim
- October 16, 2020
Back in 2015 genetic analysis prove conclusively that a strange looking type of golden jackal in North Africa was actually and African wolf. Genetic analysis shows that is descended around...
The loss of wild dogs from the Serengeti – and their return
- Tim
- March 12, 2018
Transfrontier parks – allowing wildlife to exist closer to how it did before humans arrived
- Tim
- February 10, 2018
Review of Kruger National Park
- Tim
- January 6, 2018
- Size [usr 4.5]
- Facilities [usr 5]
- Range of animals [usr 5]
- Road quality [usr 4.5]
- Wildness [usr 3.5]
Species watch
- Tim
- May 11, 2022
I am intending to make this into a new set of articles that will appear on this website. Obviously, these species will not be the only ones that are covered...
Fears for the Masai Mara
- Tim
- July 26, 2020
There are many wild places of great note around the world. While a large number of these are hugely remote, and therefore protected by the difficulty of reaching them, some...
More than 60 lions have been shot by British citizens in the last few years-since the death of Cecil
- Tim
- July 4, 2020
in 2015 the world was in uproar when a dentist from the States went to South Africa and shot a lion.T he shooting of lions is not unusual in South...
News in brief – Wall on Denmark border, Cleanup of Tesso Nillo, Great Pacific Garbage patch, Columbia highway, Leopards to control Rabies
- Tim
- March 26, 2018