Young African wild dogs stay with their mother for the first three weeks of life in a special den!
African Wild Dogs - Facts for Kids
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Facts About African Wild Dogs For Kids
African wild dog pack members help take care of the pups, bringing them food and protecting them from danger!
African wild dog pups typically begin joining hunting trips when they’re about 12 to 14 months old.
African wild dog pups typically reach their full adult size by 12 to 14 months of age.
In African wild dog packs, only the dominant pair — the alpha male and alpha female — typically breed and produce pups.
African wild dog pups are able to start eating regurgitated food from adult pack members when they’re about 4 to 5 weeks old!
Young African wild dogs stay with their birth pack until they’re about 2–3 years old before possibly leaving to start their own pack!
African wild dog pups typically begin playing with their siblings around 3 weeks old.
African wild dog pups stay in the den for the first three months of their life!
African wild dog pups typically begin eating some solid food at about three weeks old and are fully weaned from their mother’s milk by five to six weeks.
African wild dog pups are born with black and white coats. As they grow, tan and yellow patches start to appear, and by about 7 weeks old, they begin to look more like adult dogs. Their unique coat patterns continue to develop as they get older.
African wild dog pups are born with their eyes closed and open them after about two weeks!
African wild dogs typically have their first litter of pups between the ages of 2 and 3 years.
Diet & Feeding
African wild dogs have a hunting success rate of about 80%, which is much higher than lions, who are successful only about 30% of the time!
African wild dogs mainly hunt antelopes like impalas and gazelles, but can also catch larger animals like wildebeest!
African wild dogs typically hunt twice a day — once at dawn and again at dusk.
When African wild dogs catch prey, they can eat an impala-sized antelope in less than 15 minutes!
Adult African wild dogs let pups eat first at a kill, which is different from most other predators!
African wild dogs can sprint after prey for up to 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) without stopping!
African wild dogs waste very little of their prey, eating almost everything except the horns and hooves!
African wild dogs can run down prey in relays, with different pack members taking turns leading the chase!
African wild dogs can eat up to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) of meat in a single meal!
African wild dogs hunt cooperatively, using different pack members to tire out their prey!
African wild dogs rarely scavenge and prefer to hunt their own fresh prey!
African wild dogs can identify weak or sick animals in a herd with incredible accuracy!
African wild dogs use stamina rather than speed to catch their prey, wearing them down over long distances!
Conservation & Population
There are around 6,600 African wild dogs left in the wild today!
African wild dogs are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List!
African wild dogs have disappeared from 25 of the 39 countries where they once lived.
The biggest threats to African wild dogs are habitat loss, human conflict, and diseases from domestic dogs!
