Livestock predation by the painted hunting dog Lycaon pictus in a cattle ranching region of Zimbabwe: a case study

Abstract

The painted hunting dog Lycaon pictus, labelled an inveterate stock killer, was formerly slaughtered in large numbers and eradicated throughout most of its former range. Reports of a pack of painted hunting dogs estimated at 35 individuals, and cattle losses of 59 animals over a 2-year period in the Nyamandlovu region, Zimbabwe, were checked by fieldwork. A resident pack numbering 16 individuals was confirmed, with a home range of ⩾660 km 2. Authentic cattle losses due to dogs from a herd averaging 3132 amounted to ⩽26 animals out of a total of 268 losses with a peak during the calving season but few losses during the denning period. The pack fed predominantly on impala, duiker and kudu. There were indications that some of the losses attributed to the dogs were in fact due to cattle rustling and poaching.