🐕 African wild dog vs Cougar 🐆
The cougar is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. The cougar weighs about 3 times as much as the African wild dog.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐆 Cougar |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cougar is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 4.9 to 8.2 ft1.5 to 2.5 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the cougar yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The cougar weighs about 3 times as much as the African wild dog. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 64 to 265 lb29 to 120 kg2 |
| Lives The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 18 to 20 years18 to 20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places |
Which one? African wild dog or cougar
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the cougar yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about African wild dog vs Cougar
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The cougar: A big, plain-colored cat of the Americas, also called a mountain lion.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cougar is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
- The cougar weighs about 3 times as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cougar.
- The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cougar.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the cougar eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The cougar lives in mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The cougar: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🐆 Cougar
- A cougar is also called a mountain lion.
- It once lived across more of the Americas than any other land mammal.
- It eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Cougar
Which is bigger, African wild dog or cougar?
The cougar is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or cougar?
The cougar weighs about 3 times as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cougar.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or cougar?
The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cougar.
What do African wild dog and cougar eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the cougar eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too.
Where do African wild dog and cougar live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The cougar lives in mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or cougar?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-cougar
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Puma concolor (cougar, mountain lion), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.