In Touch with Nature – Highly endangered African painted wild dogs #Africanwildlife #Africanwilddogs
Posted: April 24, 2024 Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: African Wild Dogs, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Robbie Cheadle, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 76 Comments
The African wild dog, also called the hunting dog or African painted dog, is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, only 6,600 African wild dogs remain in the wild across the entire African continent. The main reason for their endangerment is habitat fragmentation (the most common reason for wildlife endangerment) which causes conflict between these predators and humans. Throughout Africa, wild dogs have been shot and poisoned by farmers for loss of livestock, even though these losses are frequently due to other predators including hyenas and leopards. In addition, African wild dogs also suffer from endemic disease outbreaks.
African wild dogs have a mottled coat comprising of yellow, black and white patches. They have long legs with flat, broad heads, a short black muzzle, and large round ears.
Wild dogs have strong social bonds and live in packs of two to twenty-seven adults and yearling pups.
Wild dogs are excellent hunters. They hunt in packs of six to twenty individuals and catch their prey by chasing them to exhaustion. Wild dogs can run at speeds of up to 66 km/h (41 mph) for between 10 to 60 continuous minutes. They have an 80 percent kill success rate with is higher than bigger predators like lions and leopards.
Observers have noticed that prior to setting out to hunt, the wild dogs’ populations in the Okavango Delta of Botswana rally to determine whether they should depart. Departure is more likely when more individual dogs sneeze, a short sharp exhale through the nostrils. If a dominant dog initiates by sneezing, around three additional sneezes guarantee departure.
Sighting a pack of African wild dogs in the wild has been on my bucket list for a long time. I was lucky enough to see a pack of wild dogs at the Bthongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve but they live inside a relatively small enclosure and are fed.
Obviously, seeing wild dogs in captivity is not quite the same as seeing them in a national park or game reserve. I was, therefore, delighted when we saw wild dogs at Madikwe Game Reserve not once, but two days in a row. We were fortunate enough to observe, the hunt (chase), devouring of a kill, and wild dogs relaxing and having fun.
The poem below, Dog Vote, is extracted from my poetry book, Lion Scream.
Dog Vote
They yelp and growl at play
Then sleep in a mass
Of black fur, overlapped with yellow and white
They are invisible
Among the shadows
***
Having strong social bonds
Wild dogs live in packs
Dominated by a single breeding pair
But they all have a say
Conveyed as a vote
***
Before leaving to hunt
The adults rally
Sneezing to express a preference to hunt
The majority rules
All members comply
This is my YT video of African wild dogs playing:
African wild dogs in a gathering:
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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Writing to be Read 
How wonderful to see the painted dogs in the wild. They are awesome.
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Hi Darlene, they are quite amusing to watch. They yelp and yip at each other while jostling for position. Just like domestic dogs.
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They sound like my two.
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They are fun to watch.
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It is very sad about the African wild dog. I hope we will be able to save it. I think they look a bit like hyenas but I can see that they have a more dog like head and dog like body compared to a hyena, even though the colors seem similar. Thank you for the interesting information, the great photos and the beautiful poem.
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Robbie, Thomas is correct. They do look much like Hyenas. Are they related? Are Hyenas in the canine family?
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HI Kaye, wild dogs and hyenas are not related. Hyenas are not dogs. I will feature hyenas next month and demonstrate the difference. I love hyenas. They are my favourite predator.
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I am looking forward to that post
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Me too, Thomas. 🙂
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Hugs
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Yay!
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Lol. I really did not think they were related, but I have been wrong before. I look forward to seeing your hyenas. I love learning about African wildlife through this series and watching your story of the African bush unfold. 🙂
My favorite predator is lynx or bobcat. They are smaller than cougars, but I have both in my area. I had a lynx perched on the roof of my camper one night several years ago. Scared the crap out of me, but I think I scared him too. Good thing it wasn’t a cougar.
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Hi Kaye, that is good to know. I have seen pictures of lynx. We have caracals here, also know as Persian lynx or desert lynx, but they are not related to your lynx. Cougars are very vicious from what I’ve read.
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Sarah comes up against a cougar in the book. They stalk their prey over vast distances. Has one following us on a hike one time. Very scary.
Also, I never would have guessed that your wild dogs are related to the mongoose! That was a surprise.
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Elephants are related to mice. The natural world never ceases to surprise me.
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HI Thomas, this is such an interesting comment for me because I don’t think wild dogs look anything like hyenas. However, Wikipedia tells me that a lot of people who are unfamiliar with African wildlife think these two species look similar. Wild dogs are canines i.e. dogs but hyenas are an entirely different family and are closely rated to the mongoose. Hyenas are generally much bigger than wild dogs and their body structure is much heavier, they weigh approximately twice as much as wild dogs. I will feature hyenas next month and then you can consider the differences yourself.
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I see. I’ll bet I would easily see the difference if they are next to each other. I can already see that the Wild dog has a dog like body and face but the Hyena has like a cone shaped body. It will be very interesting to see the Hyena post next month. Thank you robbie.
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My pleasure, Thomas. I am so pleased these posts interest you.
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I agree that the wild dogs look like hyenas.
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I’ll compare them next month, Liz. I’ll post two pictures side-by-side. There is a resemblance with their colouring.
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Fascinating, varied post, Robbie!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Dave.
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God love the doggies… I shall envision that life works FOR them in ALL ways, always. <3
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HI Annette, thank you. They need all the help they can get.
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Fantastic pictures of awesome subjects!
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Hi Tim, I am glad you enjoyed this post.
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Did they howl like a wolf? They remind me of Dingo’s.
You must have been tickled to come across them Robbie! Did they invite you to dinner?
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Hi Wayne, no they do not howl like wolves. They cry like dogs. You can listen to the sound of a wild dog call here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB6EUDUwyyQ . I was very delighted to have three sightings within 2 days. How lucky is that. And no, wild dogs are not prone to sharing – haha!
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Your photos and the video are amazing. Beautiful animals and how sad they are endangered. Love the poem. What a great post, Robbie!
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Hi Jan, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post and the poem. These animals are amazing and can run like the wind.
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Fabulous post and amazing photos and videos thank very much Robbie and to Kaye Lynne ♥
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🙂
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My pleasure, Sally, I am delighted you enjoyed this post.
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So–and how wonderful you got to see them in the wild, Robbie. They do look very different from domesticated dogs.
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HI Merril, yes and no. They look a lot like certain agile and skinny breeds of dogs. Their genre is canine so they are distinct relatives to all dogs. Thanks for visiting.
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Hi Robbie, yes, I understand what they are. I was just giving my opinion. 😊
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Thank you
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I always enjoy your photos and videos. With the addition of your poetry, it makes a very nice collection.
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Hi Dan, thank you. I am so pleased you like my wildlife posts.
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Very interesting information! They look to be very skilled and efficient predators.
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Hi Liz, they are very skilled hunters. They are very scary because they start eating their prey while it is still trying to run away. Its a bit yucky.
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I wouldn’t want to witness that!
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Extraordinary eye-opening post, Robbie. I’ve seen photos of these painted dogs, but I knew nothing about them. Thank you!
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Hi Gwen, these were amazing sightings, we were so lucky. They are very rare and because they move all the time, they are incredibly difficult to find in the bush.
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I can see from the pictures/videos why they are called painted dogs. They are beautiful.
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Hi Priscilla, they are very interesting and they run like the wind.
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Their coats are perfect for disappearing into shadows. Thanks for the information, always interesting, as usual, Robbie. (K)
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Hi Kerfe, thank you. I am delighted you enjoyed this post.
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Great post, Robbie. How lucky to see them in the wild and even hunting. It is too bad that they are becoming endangered. I had the same question about hyenas, so will wait for that post to find out the differences.
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Hi Carla, as I mentioned in my response to Thomas, for me hyenas and wild dogs look very different but that is probably because I’ve seen them in reality and photographs can be misleading especially with regards to sizing. I’m glad readers are so interested and I’m delighted to offer more information on request.
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I am enjoying these “In Touch with Nature” posts Robbie very informative its a shame like many other animals. that they are endangered…It’s lovely to see them interacting in their own environment I can see how the colours of their coats would aid blending into the scenery…A lovely post as always. Robbie 🙂 xoxo
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Hi Carol, I am delighted to know you are enjoying this series of posts. I enjoy sharing information about South African wildlife.
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Your enjoyment is so obvious in the content and quality of your posts on the wildlife of South Africa and you should rightly be proud, Robbie x
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Thank you, Carol. South African wildlife makes up for a lot
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Amazing creatures. Thanks, Robbie.
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My pleasure, Craig. No posts from you this week?
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Last one was the 21st. I’ll probably have something this weekend.
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Great to hear. I miss your chatty posts.
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I had no clue about this …. so thank you. The seem to resemble hyenas (well, to me). Well done, Robbie!
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HI Frank, a number of readers have commented on that resemblance in colouring. I will feature hyenas next month and illustrate the differences.
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☺️
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Neat to learn about African wild dogs. I didn’t realize that they are endangered. I hope the conservation efforts at game reserves help to improve their numbers.
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Hi, I never knew these dogs existed. Let alone that they were on the endangered list.
I also never knew that a dog’s sneezes meant something. I always suspected they were a form of communication.
Patty L. Fletcher
Bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled
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Hi Patty, these are fascinating creatures and it is a great shame they are endangered. I think everything animals do means something, we just don’t always understand.
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Hi, well, now I’m fascinated with these so I’m want to learn more of them.
Thanks for sharing.
Patty L. Fletcher
Bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled
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Hi Dave, conservation of wild dogs is a huge struggle as other predators kill them. There was a pack at the Pilanesberg national park and they have all been killed so now there are none. Everyone is trying hard to save them.
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Thanks for this informative post, Robbie. I learned a lot and your photos are amazing! I hope these wild dogs are able to get off the endangered list.
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Hi Lauren, sadly, that is very unlikely. They way things are going, they are likely to become extinct.
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Oh! I hate to read this.
It seems as though man has forgotten the face of his/her father.
Patty L. Fletcher
Bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled
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I know, Patty. It is a tragedy.
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Hello, to continue raising awareness, I submitted this article to the Guide Dog Users Incorporated magazine, ‘Paws for GDUI News You Can Use’ and it has been accepted.
Thank you, Robbie, for your kind permission to share.
We did leave a read more link so people would be drawn here to finish reading.
I was drawn in by the dog’s communication with sneezing but also the need for conservation.
I also spoke with a trainer about the sneezing. He said he’d get back to me.
😊
Patty L. Fletcher
Bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled
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That is so sad, Robbie. 😦
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Robbie, I know here in the states we have coyotes. Our version of wild dog. And Australia has dingos. It’s not common, but some have attempted to domesticate both of these breeds with some success. They say heelers are part dingo. Is there a domesticated version of your painted dogs?
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