World Painted Dog Day August 25, 2024

 Tomorrow is World Painted Dog Day. These majestic creatures are also known as African wild dogs or African hunting dogs, which are wild canines and natives of sub-Saharan Africa. Their prey is gazelles, impalas, wildebeests, warthogs, and other small animals. Painted dogs are extremely vulnerable to human encroachment and agricultural expansion, which has been destroying their habitats. They are quite social and intelligent. Within the pack, these canines have a unique social structure. They cooperate in taking care of the wounded and sick members, there is a general lack of aggression exhibited between members of the pack, and there is little intimidation among the social hierarchy. Today, fewer than 7,000 African wild dogs survive in the wild, and only 1,500 of these are adults. Their priority is always to protect their pack; pups get first feed after a kill, ‘aunties’ act as pup-sitters for other mothers, and if a wild dog becomes ill or injured, their pack-mates rally round to care for them. Wilde dogs have also been seen mourning lost family members. Loss of quality habitat and poaching represent the biggest problems. Unless we take action to address these threats, painted dogs will become extinct in our lifetime. All of today’s photos were taken at the following zoos: Potawatomi, Bronx, Oregon, Brookfield and Fort Worth.