The Painted Dog

I recently watched a TV episode called Jaws of Death as part of the Discovery Channel's documentary series, I Shouldn't Be Alive. The real life drama featured Greg Rasmussen, founder and director of the Painted Dog Conservation, in Zimbabwe. Greg was assisting fellow conservationists and anti-poachers locate a missing, but electronically tagged Rhino.

Greg was conducting the search via a light aircraft over the African savanna. Increased air resistance during the July winds caused a wing-stall and the plane hurtled out of control crashing into the ground. Both of Greg's legs and pelvis were shattered, his story of survival and subsequent rescue is truly gripping and awe-inspiring.

You can visit YouTube to watch the episode(s) and learn more about Greg's harrowing ordeal, that link is to video 1:6.

Greg Rasmussen's heroic efforts did not end in the African bush, but started and continued there. In 2002, Mr. Rasmussen founded the Painted Dog Conservation. The organization helps with conserving the Painted Dog, anti-poaching and education.

On August 26th, National Dog Day is celebrated annually in the U.S. In the spirit of National Dog Day, let's take a look at one of Africa's most endangered species, the Painted Dog.

The Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus) is only found in Africa. It is estimated that only 3,000 dogs remain. It is known originally as the African Wild Dog and also known as the African Hunting Dog, the Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Hunting Dog, Painted Wolf, or the Spotted Dog.

Greg Rasmussen advocates using the name Painted Hunting Dog and had this to say about the name controversy:

"The name wild dog developed during an era of persecution of all predators when the name applied to feral dogs, hyenas and jackals. Painted aside from being a direct translation of the specific epithet, accurately describes the unique varicolored markings of each individual. Apart from being misleading, continued use of the name wild dog does little more than further fuel negative attitude and prejudice which is detrimental to conservation efforts."

Like most members of the dog family, it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound, similar to a bird.

Pups are usually born in an abandoned den dug by other animals such as those of the Aardvark. Weaning takes place at about 10 weeks. After 3 months, the den is abandoned and the pups begin to run with the pack.

The majority of its diet is mammal prey such as the impala, but the Painted Dog will hunt large birds, especially Ostriches. Hunters regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den, such as the dominant female and the pups. They will also feed other pack members, such as the sick, injured, or very old.

Additional information on this fascinating breed can be found on the Painted Dog Conservation site. Happy National Dog Day!

Sources:

Painted Dog Conservation

African Wild Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.nationaldogday.com/