As the largest sub-population probably comprises fewer than 250 individuals, the African wild dog has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1990.
The African wild dog has very strong social bonds, stronger than those of lions and spotted hyenas. It lives in permanent packs consisting of two to 27 adults and yearling pups. Males and females have separate dominance hierarchies.
African wild dog populations in the Okavango Delta have been observed "rallying" before they set out to hunt. Not every rally results in a departure, but departure becomes more likely when more individual dogs "sneeze". When members of dominant mating pairs sneeze first, the group is much more likely to depart. If a dominant dog initiates, around three sneezes guarantee departure.
The species is a specialised diurnal hunter of antelopes, which it catches by chasing them to exhaustion. Body weight of adults range from 18 to 36 kg (40 to 79 lb). On average, dogs from East Africa weigh around 20–25 kg (44–55 lb) while in southern Africa, males reportedly weighed a mean of 32.7 kg (72 lb) and females a mean of 24.5 kg (54 lb).
The African wild dog has very strong social bonds, stronger than those of lions and spotted hyenas. It lives in permanent packs consisting of two to 27 adults and yearling pups. Males and females have separate dominance hierarchies.
African wild dog populations in the Okavango Delta have been observed "rallying" before they set out to hunt. Not every rally results in a departure, but departure becomes more likely when more individual dogs "sneeze". When members of dominant mating pairs sneeze first, the group is much more likely to depart. If a dominant dog initiates, around three sneezes guarantee departure.