The African wild dog, also known as the Cape hunting dog, is Africa's most endangered carnivore. The term endangered means that it is in danger of extinction and unlikely to survive if the factors causing its decline in numbers continue. Its endangered status is the result of direct persecution by people.
The African wild dog is a gregarious, pack-living animal with behaviour similar to that of the well known wolf of the northern hemisphere. The wild dog has a similar role in nature to that of the wolf in that it removes weak and unhealthy animals from the prey population. Like the wolf, the wild dog has been persecuted unrelentlessly.
The African wild dog is a slim, long-legged animal about the size of an Alsatian dog. Its coat is a dappled combination of tan, black and white - each individual having a unique pattern. They differ from true dogs and wolves in that they have only four, not five, toes on each foot. Their large rounded ears are characteristic and contribute to an extremely acute sense of hearing.
Wild dogs live in closely knit packs of up to 15 adults together with their young. Each pack has one dominant female and one dominant male. Usually only these two will mate and produce offspring. All pack members cooperate in the rearing of pups.
A high-pitched twittering, associated with excitement, is often heard when the pack is at a carcass or when they greet each other on returning from a hunt or awakening after a doze in the shade. A hooting call, called the `whoo' call, allows the members of the pack to find one another when the pack breaks up.
Mafunyane Game Reserve has been exporting these naturally wild animals to the far east to live in zoo's in small enclosures and despicable conditions. They also "sell" cheetah, rhino, elephant. How and we allow them to SELL what belongs to the wild! To Mother Africa?
I urge you dear friends, mother nature has a way of comming back full circle when she is disturbed, lets stop them from taking her children.
