Today’s featured animal is the African wild dog or also called the Cape hunting dog and painted dog. Native only to Africa, these canines live in packs in the open plains of the sub-Sahara. They are very social with each other, living in packs of up to 30 dogs, and have been known to help out other members of their pack by sharing food and assisting the ill or weak. But don’t mistake these kind measures for your average family dog! These canines pack a powerful bite—taking on large prey three times their size—like wildebeest! And although they are a member of the canine family, these dogs look anything but normal! Their name “painted” is a reflection of their fur which has a plethora of colors like: patches of red, black, brown, white, and yellow—all found blending together to help camouflage them in the wild. Unfortunately, that camouflage isnt protecting them from predators like humans. There is an estimated 6,000 wild dogs remaining in the wild and with so few numbers they are listed as endangered—one of the worlds most endangered mammals—to be specific. The wild dog has been wearing this classification for nearly 20 years! Their depletion is due much in part to farmers shooting and poisoning them in retaliation for killing livestock, seeing them as a threat to their domesticated pets and the loss of their territory on which to roam freely. The wild dog has also been introduced to diseases that they wouldnt normally be exposed to like canine distemper. Where do we go from here? How do we save the worlds wildlife that seems to be slipping through our fingers? The steps we take today will directly affect our great grandchildren. If we work together we can preserve what has been entrusted to us—animals like the wild dog and the many others facing extinction. A simple trip to the Zoo to see our wild dogs or taking a trip to your local library and reading about them with your children are all steps in the right direction. And finally, making financial contributions to those organizations working to protect endangered wildlife. Many of us will never travel to Africa and see an African wild dog and that’s why it’s important for zoos like Binder Park to be able to bridge the gap between seeing an animal in a book or on TV, to meeting one up close and witnessing their majestic beauty. We hope to see you at our park soon and that you will be sure to stop by and see our wild dogs.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 00:30:01 +0000
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