Rarely seen in North American zoos, the African wild dog is known by several common names including Cape hunting dog, painted dog and painted wolf. The numbers of African wild dogs has shrunk precipitously in the wild, due to loss and fragmentation of habitat, diseases such as distemper and rabies, and their destruction by humans as a "pest-control" measure in an effort to protect livestock. Historically ranging over much of the African plains, this often maligned animal calls the scrubby savanna home in limited enclaves located in sub-Saharan Africa. Viable populations now live in Tanzania, northeastern South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and small areas of Namibia, Angola and Zambia, in national parks and other protected areas. Currently fewer than 6,000 exist in the wild. View a video clip of the African wild dogs greeting one another. They are very vocal animals, using chirps and twitters to communicate. Lo-Speed, Hi-Speed, Mpeg

SPREAD THE WORD!! Send a wild dog postcard to your friends or family! What's in a name? (The dogs' names and distinguishing characteristics). African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are one of the most social of wild canids. Like their cousin the wolf, wild dogs arrange themselves into mobile pack groupings, based on a dominant male and female pairing. The pack's membership is fluid, consisting of as few as the original dominant pair, or up to 40 to 50 individuals that work together to hunt and even care for one another. Woodland Park Zoo is contributing funds to the Botswana Wild Dog Research project to help study African wild dogs in their native habitat and help preserve these remarkable animals. For more detailed information about African wild dogs, including what they eat in the wild and at the zoo, their lifespan and fascinating facts, go to our African wild dog Fact Sheet.