African Wild Dogs (lycaon pictus) are threatened by extiinction. Only few animals are still left in the north and north-east of Namibia, mainly in Bushmanland, Kavango and the Caprivi.
The animals have a short, dark snout, big round ears and quite long fur. Typical is the long, white tail. The colour of body and legs is white with yellow, brown and black spots. The forehead has a light colour with a dark stripe running through the centre towards the back of the head.
Wild Dogs live in open terrain and in the plains of forested areas. Preferred prey are antelopes, especially Springbok and Black Wildebeest. They hunt in packs consisting of 10 to 15 animals. Packs of 40 and more are also heard of. The dogs hunt their prey to exhaustion and then tear it to pieces.
The Wild Dog population still living in Namibia is estimated at between 300 to 500 animals. The situation is equally dramatic in the neighbouring countries. So various projects have been started to breed these dogs in captivity and to then release them to the wild.