African painted dog

Named for their colourful coat, the African painted dogs sport mottled patches of red, black, brown, white, and yellow fur all over their bodies. Each dog has its own unique ‘painted’ pattern.

African painted dogs hunt in cooperative packs of 6–20 animals. Their preferred prey are usually about twice their weight, like the impala. Packs will also take on much larger prey like wildebeests, particularly ill or injured ones. They can keep up a hunt over a distance of 5km at a steady pace of 48km/hr, till their prey drop dead from exhaustion. With such incredible stamina, it’s no wonder they have the highest kill rate among carnivores.

Pack members that take part in a hunt eat together before returning to their den to regurgitate food for the young, old or sick. These dogs are very social, often communicating through touch, actions and calls. They use their large ears to listen out for calls of their pack members. Each pack is dominated by a monogamous breeding pair. The female gives birth to a litter of 2–20 pups, which are later cared for by the whole pack.