African Wild Dog

The medium sized African Wild Dog is a Canid or carnivorous wild mammal found only in Africa, especially in the savannas and the lightly wooded areas. The average adult weighs 37 to 79 pounds and stands around 30 inches at the shoulder. The African Wild Dogs hunt in packs and have one of the highest kill rates at 80% due to the long, open pursuits of their prey. At one time there were over 500,000 African Wild Dog, now there are only 3,000-5,000 left due to overpopulation of humans, habitat loss, and hunting. Today, there are many efforts to revive the breed.