African Hunting Dog Lycaon pictus (Canis pictus)

The African Hunting Dog, also called African Wild or Painted Dog or Wolf, is the largest wild dog species in Africa. It is native mainly to sub-Saharan Africa and hunts in packs.

Both male and female African Hunting Dogs have a tri-coloured coat of black, white and golden brown in jumbled patterns with most of the white on the limbs and chest. The tail is always tipped white and used as a communication flag. They are not closely related to wolves and domestic dogs and cannot interbreed with them.

They do everything together. They hunt as a pack and have a high hunting success rate for a range of large and small prey. The packs have one dominant, monogamous pair and a hierarchical social structure. Members of the hunting pack will regurgitate food for pups, elderly, infirm and mothers who have stayed with pups at their den.