The African Wild Dogs
By: Kynzie
Introduction




My animal has brown,
black and white spots.
The first word starts
with a w and ends with
a d.
The second word starts
with a d and ends with
a g.
What is it?
Description
African wild dogs height is 24 to 30
inches high. They weigh between 37
and 80 pounds. The African wild dog’s
color is brown, white and black. African
wild dogs do not all have white tails.
Life Span
Both male and female lives the same
amount of time. I think it is better to be
younger in their group because the
younger they are the longer they live.
The African wild dog lives for 10 years.
Predator/Prey

Antelope, zebras,
wildebeests, springboks,
gazelles and impala are the
food African wild dogs hunt
for. Gazelles and Wildebeests
have to keep a sharp lookout
for they are the dog’s
favorite foods. They eat their
food quickly so hyenas do
not steal their food. The wild
dogs chase their prey,
usually a sick or old animal.
They also do not have many
enemies.
Protection
African wild dog’s
deadliest enemy is a
human. When African
wild dogs are done
hunting they bring back
food for injured, and old
members of the pack
that stayed behind.
They protect
themselves by running
away.
Young

African wild dogs can have
up to fifteen pups in a litter,
but 7 to 10 are more usual.
The special name for a baby
African wild dog is called a
pup. African wild dogs often
have pups once a year.
Parents take care of baby
African wild dogs for six
weeks. When pups are about
six weeks old they start to
hunt and run. The pack
feeds and protects the pups.
Behavior

African wild dogs treat
each other like a caring
family. African wild dogs
packs have many rules.
The African wild dogs
can easily run 30 miles
per hour. The African
wild dogs are active
during the day. When it
is the hottest part of the
day African wild dogs
usually rest and sleep in
the shade.
Environment
The African wild dogs
are only found south
of the Sahara
dessert. Savannahs
and grasslands are
where African wild
dogs live.
Endangered, Threatened, or
Recovering
We should care for African wild dogs
because they will die from humans
hunting them and floods drowning
them. Anthrax, rabies and distemper
can make African wild dogs sick and kill
them.
Interesting Facts
African wild dogs only have four toes.
Regular dogs have five toes. The pack
will share food with young hyenas if
they behave the right way. Not all
African wild dogs have white tails. Some
of them just have brown or black or
white, black and brown on its tail.
Conclusion
I learned about the African
wild dog. The African
wild dog is cute. The
reason why I picked the
African wild dog was
because I have a puppy
that looks exactly like a
African wild dog. We
can save African wild
dogs by not cutting
down trees.
Bibliography
Beil, Timothy L. Wild Dogs. Mankoto, MN: Creative Education, 1996.
Defenders of Wildlife. “African Wild Dog.” Accessed on 8 Sept 2006.
http://www.Kidsplanet.org/factsheets/africanwilddog.html
Encyclopedia of Animals. “African wild dogs.” Accessed on 5 Sept 2006
from EBSCO animals online database.
Gentle, Victor. African Wild Dogs. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2002
Gunzi, Christiane. Wolves and Wild Dogs. Boston: Kingfisher, 2003.