The wild nature of Africa is considered one of the harshest regions in the world, with the Sahara desert, savannah, and many unique animals such as zebras, African elephants, and famous predators like cheetahs, lions, and hyenas. However, it's not just these animals, but also the African wild dog, a formidable predator. Despite the cute and harmless appearance, the reality is different. This leads many people to be unaware of their reputation and often underestimate this animal. However, the reality is completely opposite. The African wild dog is one of the most fearsome predators in Africa, on par with cheetahs or lions, the famous predators on the plains of the dark continent.

Known as the master of cooperative hunting on the savannah, with a success rate of up to 3/4 in each hunt. Each individual has discipline and good solidarity, they are also one of the strongest species among carnivorous mammals.



Living in packs and having a highly unique social Animation



The African wild dog, scientifically known as Lycaon pictus, is also commonly referred to as 'Painted wolves.' However, they are more commonly known as African wild dogs.

They own an extremely fashionable fur with black, brown, yellow and white spots; In particular, each dog has different spots, no one is like a child with a big pair of round. The habitat of African wild dogs gathered in the east and southern Africa.

They are the only species among social meat animals with female, not males from the herd when mature in reproduction.

They are a species with a head, all the other members are admired. When hunting, the meat is divided from top to bottom, other dogs wait patiently, standing guard until their turn to eat.

They rarely fight each other for food because of this ranking system. When a dog is sick, injured, or old, even if it loses the ability to hunt, the remaining members of the pack will take care of and feed them. When the alpha dog is injured, it is not forced to abdicate its position. If it is still capable, it will still be respected and taken care of by the pack.

A special characteristic of this animal species is its selflessness. When they catch prey, the adults let the young ones eat first. Not only the parents, but also the older siblings participate in taking care of and protecting the younger ones in the pack.

This species also has a peculiar habit of swallowing food and then regurgitating it to eat again. They sometimes roll over the vomit pile before standing up to devour the messy pile of meat on the ground. This behavior is often used to bring food back to the young ones, but sometimes it extends to the adults, to the point where it becomes the foundation of the social life of African wild dogs.

Extreme hunting skills




While the success rate of lion hunting is only about 27-30%, this rate in African wild dogs reaches 80%, a staggering and superior number compared to lions and leopards. They often hunt in large packs with a number of about 20 individuals, and they can collaborate to bring down prey larger than themselves multiple times, such as wildebeests and impalas.

Their jaws can generate a bite force of up to 240,000 kg/m2, the lower jaw of the African wild dog is much larger than that of domestic dogs, and their teeth are designed to strip meat from bones. They can even steal prey from species at the top of the food chain, such as lions, hyenas, or crocodiles.

Observing African wild dogs, you will know why they are praised as the "top hunters" of Africa.

Most of the meat -based animals leaning on the camouflage silently approaching and defeating the prey but African wild dogs rarely have to use this strategy, they are born to conquer their prey with chases.

With good vision and incredible endurance, wild dogs can chase 8 km continuous prey and the fastest speed can be up to 66 km/h. Usually they will chase their prey until the prey is exhausted and collapsed, unable to resist and make the prey.

In order to be able to hunt for a large prey, the members of the herd need to be smooth.

Before chasing the prey, they radiate and select the target. One is close to the prey, another one moves to block the ribs and the other is alternating. Their purpose is to separate the target that has been decided from the guitar, surrounded the ribs and approach the prey to escape. It is an extremely effective way to hunt and science with herds.

If the prey belongs to a small type, they just crush to the ground and tear it up with the healthy jaw set into the most natural world. In addition, African wild dogs are very smart when they know how to communicate with each other when hunting, the dogs are constantly let the other members know both their position and the prey.