As a veterinarian, Dr DeBlanc is partial to dogs. Whether they be her own, her clients’, or the wild dogs on the African savanna, she believes they should all be protected.

The African wild dog used to be found throughout the continent, but breeding packs are now only found in South Africa and southern East Africa. Their coat patterns and markings are unique to each individual and pack members can recognize patterns from a mile away. Unlike other canine species, their fur is made up completely of bristle-like hair with no undercoat or underfur.

Packs are built with generally 10-20 members. Due to declining population numbers, Kruger National Park reports that their packs only have 4-5 members. When their population was high, pack members could range up to 50.

The males stay with their pack for life, and only young females will leave to join others, naturally preventing inbreeding among packs.
When the alpha female is ready to give birth, the pack will limit its travel range while the mother finds a den to birth her pups safely. Members of the pack will keep her well-fed until she is able to hunt on her own again. Once the pups’ eyes open and they are able to leave the protection of the den, members of the pack (usually males) act as babysitters. Hunting parties will bring back food for the pups as they grow.

They are a very social group, both in touch and play but also in loud vocalization. They howl, they hoot, they squeak, they chirp, but they do not bark.

Wild dogs are almost exclusively hunters, meaning that they rarely scavenge, and prefer to hunt in the early morning and evening. They are actually the most efficient hunters in Africa, working as a well-organized team, averaging an 80% success rate. After a hunt, the most helpless members of the pack are fed first—the pups, the old, the injured—with the dominant, stronger leaders often eating last, which is a trait uncommon in the canine species.