The complex social structure of African Wild Dogs

The fascination social ways of the African Wild Dogs merits a detailed discussion. This is a start.

Photo Credit: Twinkl

Before we delve any deeper into the social structure of African wild dogs, we need to understand the basics of social structure and African wild dogs both. Social structure refers to ecological relationships. It points to how animals search for mates, care for offspring and how they communicate among themselves. Also, it points to whether they move in groups or lead an isolated life.

African wild dogs, found in parts of Africa, are among the most endangered animals in the world.  

These animals have an engaging social structure. It bears testimony to their emotional intelligence, thus reflecting the possibility of having a developed brain structure. They live in packs of 20 to 30 members. A news article refers to African wild dogs as “close-knit nomadic packs”. It is worth noting they never hunt alone. How they move together in packs contributes to the successful outcomes of their hunt. 

No doubt, their endurance in running long distances to catch prey contributes to their success. But, their group interaction represents a strikingly amazing example of accomplishing seemingly difficult tasks. The difficulty arises from handling prey larger than them. They execute group hunting using what is known as “exhaustive predation”. This tactfulness makes the process of hunting seem easier. 

They chase their prey together until it gets tired. It is followed by attacking the animal. A research team comparing the hunting pattern of cheetahs and African wild dogs, found some interesting insights. They found that wild dogs are not as athletic and efficient as cheetahs. 

But, they do make up for the inefficiency by having good teamwork. Each of the many hunters in the pack, at times, catches prey large enough for sharing. Most importantly, the research work showed the capacity of African wild dogs to adapt to different environments having varied food distribution. This is largely made possible by efficient group hunting. 

When it comes to sharing meals, it reflects the social behavior and structure of these animals. It also shows the values and rules they follow. African wild dogs have an interesting strategy of sharing meals. 

The youngest of the pack are given “uncontested access” to the killed prey despite their lack of participation in the hunting process. Next access is given to the dominant pairs. Last to get the meal is the oldest in the pack. So, African wild dogs do share their food, but not without following their set rules. 

These dogs also display altruism by assisting the weak or diseased members of the pack. 

The parental care displayed by African wild dogs will intrigue and amaze you. The female of the dominant monogamous breeding pair, which leads the pack, selects an underground den for giving birth to offspring. The mother and litter stay in the den during the lactation period. During this isolated period, the mothers don’t have access to hunting or place where other wild dogs share food. 

The pack members return with meat to the den and help feed the mother and the babies. After completing the lactation period of one month, they leave the den. After this, the whole pack takes care of the offspring. 

How African wild dogs communicate in groups gives interesting insights into the animal world. A study group that observed these dogs in Okavango Delta came up with fascinating data. Like other carnivores, African wild dogs take a lot of rest, but after their rest, they perform “high energy greeting ceremonies”, which the study termed as social rallies.

One strange communication method in these rallies is the use of “sneezes” by African wild dogs. They use these sneezes as a voting system. The number of sneezes decides whether they will go hunting. The more the sneezes, the more likely some animal will end up being meal.

Editorial Support: Phoenix Content India