Despite the similar appearance to hyaenas(鬣狗), African wild dogs are without any doubt true wild canines(犬).The colour of their furs is a mixture of black brown, yellow, red and white. Those colours appear in so many different patterns that no two individuals look exactly alike. African wild dogs are often spotted across the African plains and spare woodlands, while they are seldom seen in jungle areas.
They are social animals, and normally hunt in groups of 6 to 20 individuals. There is a hierarchy (等级制度) existing within a group, as each group is mainly led by a pair of African wild dogs. However, the animals are friendly to one another, for the young and the weak are often assisted within the group.
African wild dogs mainly use their sense of sight to hunt for their prey. They can maintain a speed of about 40 km/h for about 5 kilometres. They usually hunt medium-sized antelopes, but they sometimes also attack larger animals such as calves, zebras and impalas.
Partly because of the increasing populations of human beings, the habitat of African wild dogs has been shrinking. In the meantime, the available prey is also largely diminished. Road kill and human hunting have also had a negative impact on its populations. The decrease of its populations is also related to the fact that this species is alsosusceptibleto a variety of diseases carried by domestic dogs. As one of the world's most endangered mammals, the conservation of it should be carried out with a high priority.
