African Wild Dog facts: the painted wolf

African wild dogs are the largest living canids in Africa. They're hypercarnivores meaning their diet is at least 70% meat. They are pack animals and form strong bonds with each other to the point that the pack will protect and feed injured and sick members. African wild dogs are also known as painted dogs, painted wolves, and cape hunting dogs. They have a patchwork-like pattern in their fur, though their tails are often tipped with white. African wild dogs are endangered to extinction and it's believed there are fewer than 10,000 alive today. These animals are persecuted by people as harmful to potential livestock and they have lost a lot of their natural habitat to human development. It's believed that African wild dogs have become extinct in 25 of 39 of the countries in which they formerly lived.

Scientific Name: Lycaon pictus
Range: Africa
Size: 2 feet (61cm) tall at the shoulders; weigh about 55 pounds (25kg)
Diet: small to medium sized hoofed animals like impala, gazelle, and wildebeest
Lifespan: 10 years