In 1997, 2000, and 2003, wildlife managers reintroduced several packs of wild dogs from elsewhere in South Africa to this park in the hope of rebuilding the species. Now only about 5,000 dogs can be found in isolated pockets of the continent. Lycaon pictus once roamed most of sub-Saharan Africa. The dog is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union. The African wild dog, officially named Lycaon pictus, and also called the painted wolf or the Cape hunting dog is the victim mainly of human hunting. Szykman, a researcher at the Smithsonian National Animal Park in Washington, D.C., is tracking the dogs for a park project. If the dogs are within range, Szykman jumps back into her four-wheel drive to catch up with them before they awake.
Just before dawn at a National Park in North Eastern South Africa, Micaela Szykman stands on a hill with a radio transmitter held in the air, listening for signals from the radio collars of African wild dogs. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below. On The Trail of Africa’s Wild Dogs IELTS Reading Passage with Answers READING PASSAGE 3 And wouldn’t that be a pity? Search for your ideal safari here, or contact an Africa Geographic safari consultant to plan your dream vacation.3.1 Oh hi there! It’s nice to meet you. A few weeks too early / late and a few kilometres off course and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC: To comment on this story please DOWNLOAD OUR APP. Read more about how wild dogs vote with sneezes here. They lose their fur as they age, with very old dogs being almost naked.Īnd did you know? Research has revealed that the decision by a group of African wild dogs to get up from rest and hit the road to hunt as a collective pack is a democratic one, albeit with a twist. Wild dog fur differs from other canids – they have stiff bristle-hairs and no underfur.
Wild dogs have specially adapted teeth, different to other canids, to enable the rapid shredding of carcasses and therefore lessen the chance of having their meals stolen by other predators.ĥ. Pups that are old enough to eat solid food are given priority at a kill – even over the dominant pair.Ĥ. Once wild dogs reach maturity it is the females that leave the pack to seek out other breeding opportunities, while the males stay behind to form the nucleus of the pack.ģ. Wild dogs have only four toes on each foot, lacking the fifth (dewclaw) that other dogs have on the front foot (and sometimes also on the back foot).Ģ. Here are 5 fascinating facts about African wild dogs:ġ. But there are other remarkable facts about these beautiful animals that perhaps you didn’t know. Many will know that Africa’s wild dogs ( Lycaon pictus ) require vast areas to roam, hunt cooperatively to run down their prey and regurgitate food for pups and other pack members.