The Painted Wolf, or African Wild Dog, is technically neither wolf, nor dog - although she is a member of the Canine Family. She is a social creature, living in packs with a strict hierarchy. Only the dominant female breeds, and she birthes an average of 10 pups a year. The rest of the pack help her to raise them and if any lower ranked females dare to breed, she will kill or steal their pups. Hunting is a co-operative affair, with several adults pursuing the prey, which they run into exhaustion. Once the prey - typically a medium-sized antelope - can no longer run, the pack move in for the kill. Due to their small size and relatively slender build, they are unable to kill the animal outright, and must instead latch onto any part they can reach, in an attempt to drag the animal down.
Painted Wolves are endangered, due to hunting (they are often blamed for killing livestock), loss of habitat, and diseases contracted from domestic dogs.
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