# What Do African Wild Dogs Eat?

> African wild dogs hunt medium ungulates in cooperative daylight packs — not hyenas, not wolves. Never feed them.

- **Species:** African Wild Dog (*Lycaon pictus*)
- **Conservation status:** Endangered
- **Diet:** Carnivore — antelope, warthog, and medium-sized mammals
- **Habitat:** Savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa
- **Lifespan:** 10–11 years in the wild (longer in captivity)
- **Top speed:** Up to 60 km/h (37 mph) in sustained pursuit
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-wild-dog/what-do-african-wild-dog-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-wild-dog/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The African wild dog is a lean, long-legged carnivore of sub-Saharan Africa, famous for its mottled coat of black, tan, and white patches. Weighing 20 to 30 kg and standing about 1.1 m in body length, it is one of the world's most efficient pack hunters, chasing prey at up to 60 km/h. Packs are intensely social and cooperative. With only a few thousand left, the IUCN lists the species as Endangered.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Appearance and identity

Also called the painted wolf, the African wild dog wears a unique coat blotched with black, yellow-tan, and white, so no two individuals look alike. It has large, rounded 'satellite-dish' ears that help with hearing and shed heat, a lean frame built for endurance, and only four toes on each foot rather than five. Adults weigh between 20 and 30 kg, with males slightly larger than females. This is Africa's only member of its genus, distinct from wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs.

## Help protect the African Wild Dog

Fewer than 7,000 African wild dogs remain — snares, roadkill, and shrinking range fragment packs across Africa.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/habitat-loss-wildlife-extinction/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-wild-dog/what-do-african-wild-dog-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.