The African Wild Dog

The African wild dog (scientific name lycaon pictus) is a species that inhabits the deserts, forests, and grasslands of southern Africa and southern East Africa, particularly Tanzania and northern Mozambique. It stands at 30 inches tall, and it can weigh between 40 and 70 pounds and grow between 30 and 56 inches long. It can sprint at speeds of more than 44 miles per hour. It is social by nature, gathering in packs of, approximately, ten to forty. It is an opportunistic predator that hunts medium-sized ruminants, such as the gazelle.

The African wild dog is classified as an Endangered species. It is this close to becoming extinct for two reasons. The first reason is that it is often killed, both on accident and on purpose, by the humans it comes in contact with, especially those in the livestock or agriculture industries. Because of this, one of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF's) efforts to save it consists of working to reduce conflict between it and the humans it comes in contact with. The second reason is that it is losing its habitat. Because of this, another one of the WWF's efforts to save it consists of creating protected areas for it and protecting major wildlife corridors in its habitat.

Source for picture and all information: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/african-wild-dog