Hey everyone! Last passion blog is here 😭 I want to thank everyone who stuck with me and read my blogs! I hope you were as inspired, educated, and passionate as I was when reading about these endangered species. There are now 41,415 endangered species on the IUCN Red List , and 16,306 of them are endangered species threatened with extinction (not only animal species!). I have only covered a few endangered species, so I hope this little blog helped you understand how human actions and carelessness are costing us the lives of many living species in which we still have much to learn about.

This week’s species is inspired by me missing my own dog Oreo hehe. I am sure that gives you a hint so I will hop right in…

Endangered Species of the Week: The African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

The wild dog is one of the world’s most endangered mammals. The largest populations remain in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa (especially Tanzania and northern Mozambique). The African Wild Dog is also one of the most social and distinctive of the species classified as ‘canids’. Other canids include dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals and dingoes. Their short, stiff coat consists of yellow, grey, black and white splotches of hair. African Wild Dogs have a life span of between 10 – 12 years.

Habitat:

African Wild Dogs are found in a wide range of habitats, including arid areas, semi-deserts and grassy plains. They can also be found in tropical and subtropical regions, as well as woodlands, forest and mountainous habitats. African Wild Dogs can be found in regions of Southern Africa. Regions include, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, the Serengeti, South Africa, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Their home ranges can be as large as 3,000 square miles.

Fun Facts:

Wild dogs are social and gather in packs of around ten individuals, but some packs number more than 40.
They are opportunistic predators that hunt medium-sized ruminants, such as gazelles.
In a sprint, African wild dogs can reach speeds of more than 44 miles per hour.
Each African Wild Dog has a unique coloration pattern. Similar to a human fingerprint, their pattern is used by researchers to identify individuals.
African Wild Dogs have an average of 10 pups per litter, following a 70-day gestation period. This litter size is the highest of all canids.

What is Threatening Them?

The principal threats to African Wild Dogs are habitat fragmentation and population extinction due to epidemic disease. Larger populations have a higher chance of recovery from these threats. But, as human population expands, the regions, in which African Wild Dogs were once able to roam freely, are disappearing.

As mentioned, African wild dogs require large home ranges to support viable populations. Recent habitat fragmentation, caused by human population growth, agriculture, settlement, and the building of roads, has caused a population decline. Throughout Africa, the African Wild Dog has a reputation for attacking livestock. As a result, they are shot and poisoned by farmers who blame them when other predators have killed livestock. They are also susceptible to diseases carried by domestic dogs, such as canine distemper and rabies.

What is Being Done?

There are many organizations that help endangered species such as the African Wild Dog. They raise money and awareness and also work to reduce conflicts with humans. The creation of protected areas and protection of major wildlife corridors benefit species such as the African wild dog.