African Wild Dog
Emily, Snigdha, Sam
Names
African wild dog
Scientific name:
Lycaon pictus
Description
The African wild dog is important to its ecosystem because, like most other predators, it kills the weak and sick animals for food, thus maintaining the natural balance of the ecosystem. If it went extinct, the ecosystem would become unbalanced.
Adaptations
Habitat & Endangerment
African wild dogs have been endangered for 20 years because of the growing human population in their habitat. Humans view the dogs as pests and kill them off to try to get rid of them. Because of this outrageous action, there are less than 6 thousand African wild dogs left in the wild. Compared to the some 300,000 estimated to have been living on Earth at one time, 6 thousand is a dangerously small number. African wild dog numbers are decreasing daily because they are being killed and their habitat is growing increasingly smaller.
Preventative measures taken
Agencies, Organizations, & Foundations
http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/african-wild-dog
World Wildlife Fund
http://worldwildlife.org/species/african-wild-dog
Painted Dog Conservation