Where do African wild dogs live? They live in open grassland and savanna. Long ago, wild dogs lived across most of Africa south of the Sahara. As of November 2026, most wild dogs live in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa. As of November 2026, the IUCN lists African wild dogs as Endangered. The IUCN is a group that rates how safe each kind of animal is. The biggest danger is habitat loss and fragmentation. That means wild land is cut into small pieces.
What does a wild dog look like? An African wild dog is about 30 to 43 inches (75 to 110 centimeters) long. It weighs about 18 to 36 kilograms (40 to 79 pounds). It has big, round ears. The big ears help it stay cool in hot weather. Every wild dog has its own coat pattern. Wild dogs live about 10 to 12 years in the wild.
Wild dogs live in packs of about 7 to 15 dogs. A pack is a group of dogs that live together. Each pack is usually led by one breeding pair, a male and a female. Packs of up to 100 wild dogs were recorded long ago. That was before the number of wild dogs fell. Wild dogs talk to each other with many different sounds.
How does a pack hunt? Wild dogs hunt together as a team, in packs. They hunt mostly in the early morning and around dusk. Dusk is the time just before dark. They mainly eat antelope, such as gazelles and impalas.
A mother wild dog has her pups in an underground den. It is often a burrow that an aardvark dug. She can have as few as 2 pups or as many as 20 in one litter. A litter is the pups born together. The whole pack helps feed the pups by bringing meat back to the den.
Words to know
- pack: dog group
- savanna: grassy plain
- fragmentation: cut into pieces
- litter: pups born together
- antelope: gazelles, impalas
The short version
African wild dogs live in open grassland and savanna in packs of about 7 to 15 dogs. A pack hunts together, as a team, and mainly eats antelope such as gazelles and impalas. As of November 2026, the IUCN lists African wild dogs as Endangered.
Quick facts
- An African wild dog weighs about 18 to 36 kilograms (40 to 79 pounds).
- Each wild dog pack is usually led by one breeding pair, a male and a female.
- Wild dogs hunt mostly in the early morning and around dusk.
- A wild dog mother can have as few as 2 pups or as many as 20 in one litter.
- As of November 2026, the IUCN lists African wild dogs as Endangered.
How do African wild dogs hunt?
African wild dogs hunt together as a team, in packs. They hunt mostly in the early morning and around dusk, and they mainly eat antelope, such as gazelles and impalas.
Where do African wild dogs live?
African wild dogs live in open grassland and savanna. Long ago they lived across most of Africa south of the Sahara. As of November 2026, most wild dogs live in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa.
