African Wild Dogs Lycaon Pictus Research Articles

First insights into the spatio-temporal ecology of sympatric large carnivores in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal

Abstract Large carnivores play a crucial role in their native ecosystems, but their populations are rapidly declining across the African continent. West Africa is no exception, with large protected areas often forming the last strongholds for these species. Little is known about the population status and ecology of large carnivores in the region, hampering the design and implementation of effective conservation strategies. We conducted a camera-trap survey during the dry season in Niokolo-Koba National Park, the largest terrestrial protected area in Senegal and the second largest in West Africa, to investigate the spatio-temporal ecology of the four large carnivores inhabiting the Park: the spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta, leopard Panthera pardus, West African lion Panthera leo leo and African wild dog Lycaon pictus. Spotted hyaenas and leopards had the widest spatial distribution and highest probability of site use. Spotted hyaena site use was positively associated with leopard relative abundance index and negatively associated with normalized difference vegetation index, whereas only distance to the nearest road influenced leopard site use. Distance to the Gambian River was the most important covariate positively affecting site use by lions. African wild dog site use was negatively associated with the relative abundance indices of lions and leopards. Lions, spotted hyaenas and leopards showed strong overlap in their activity patterns. By providing new information on the ecology of large carnivores in West Africa, including where they range and which habitats are critical for their survival, our study will facilitate conservation planning. Our findings lay the foundations for future research to conserve these threatened species in West Africa effectively and to guide ranger patrol efforts, which are key for their long-term survival.

Climate change is predicted to cause population collapse in a cooperative breeder.

It has been suggested that animals may have evolved cooperative breeding strategies in response to extreme climatic conditions. Climate change, however, may push species beyond their ability to cope with extreme climates, and reduce the group sizes in cooperatively breeding species to a point where populations are no longer viable. Predicting the impact of future climates on these species is challenging as modelling the impact of climate change on their population dynamics requires information on both group- and individual-level responses to climatic conditions. Using a single-sex individual-based model incorporating demographic responses to ambient temperature in an endangered species, the African wild dog Lycaon pictus, we show that there is a threshold temperature above which populations of the species are predicted to collapse. For simulated populations with carrying capacities equivalent to the median size of real-world populations (nine packs), extinction risk increases once temperatures exceed those predicted in the best-case climate warming scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP] 2.6). The threshold is higher (between RCP 4.5 and RCP 6.0) for larger simulated populations (30 packs), but 84% of real-world populations number <30 packs. Simulated populations collapsed because, at high ambient temperatures, juvenile survival was so low that packs were no longer recruiting enough individuals to persist, leading them to die out. This work highlights the importance of social dynamics in determining impacts of climatic variables on social species, and the critical role that recruitment can play in driving population-level impacts of climate change. Population models parameterised on long-term data are essential for predicting future population viability under climate change.

Analysis of the microbial diversity in the fecal material of the critically endangered African wild dog, Lycaon pictus.

The African wild dog (AWD) (Lycaon pictus) is a critically endangered species. These animals are hypercarnivores, hunting mostly medium-sized antelope. In this study, using bacterial tag-encoded FLX-Titanium amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP®), the microbiota in the fecal material of AWDs living in the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History was investigated. In both samples, the most predominant bacterial phylum was the Firmicutes with members of the genus Blautia spp. being the most dominant bacteria.

Bound within boundaries: Do protected areas cover movement corridors of their most mobile, protected species?

Abstract Conserving and managing large portions of land to connect wildlife reserves is an increasingly used strategy to maintain and restore connectivity among wildlife populations. Boundaries of such conservation areas are often determined based on expert opinion and socio‐political constraints, yet the extent to which they match species' movement corridors is rarely examined. This is mainly due to a lack of data, particularly on wide‐ranging movement behaviour such as dispersal. Nevertheless, empirically assessing the adequacy of protected areas is key for the implementation of targeted management actions and efficient use of limited conservation funds. Between 2011 and 2019, we collected high‐resolution GPS data on 16 dispersing African wild dog Lycaon pictus coalitions from a free‐ranging population in the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA‐TFCA). Spanning five countries and 520,000 km2, the KAZA‐TFCA is the world's largest transboundary conservation area and a prime example for international conservation efforts. We used integrated step selection analysis to estimate habitat selection of dispersers and to create a permeability surface for the KAZA‐TFCA. We compared landscape permeability across different regions within the KAZA‐TFCA as well as outside its boundaries. Lastly, we calculated least‐cost paths and corridors to verify that major movement routes were adequately encompassed within the KAZA‐TFCA. Permeability within the boundaries of the KAZA‐TFCA was more than double compared to areas outside it. Furthermore, we observed a fivefold permeability difference among the five KAZA‐TFCA countries. We also showed that major movement corridors of wild dogs ran within the KAZA‐TFCA, although some minor routes remained formally unprotected. Differences in permeability were mainly related to different degrees of human activities across regions, and to the presence or absence of rivers, swamps and open water. The relationship between permeability and other landscape features was less pronounced. Synthesis and applications. In this study, we showed how pertinent dispersal data of a highly mobile species can be used to empirically evaluate the adequacy of already existing or planned protected areas. Furthermore, we observed regional differences in landscape permeability that highlight the need for a coordinated effort towards maintaining or restoring connectivity, especially where transboundary dispersal occurs.

Enclosure Use as a Measure of Behavioral Welfare in Zoo-Housed African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus)

African wild dogs Lycaon pictus are a popularly exhibited zoo animal, frequently housed in groups to represent their natural packs in the wild. While such group housing is common, the effects of changes to that group are seldom directly investigated. This study examined the enclosure use of three African wild dog siblings located at the Woodland Park Zoo. The wild dogs were observed during a period of several weeks, during which one of the dogs was periodically removed from the group. Groupings of the wild dogs were examined during three conditions: (1) ALL 3, when all three dogs were on-exhibit, (2) MIXED, when one of the dogs was held off-exhibit, and (3) ALL 2, when only two animals remained in the enclosure and on-exhibit. Removal of one of the dogs from the on-exhibit portion of the enclosure (MIXED and ALL 2 conditions) significantly modified overall area usage and variability in enclosure use (as measured via Entropy, a single measure of area use variability) for the two remaining on-exhibit wild dogs. The results suggest that overall enclosure use, with attention to variability in enclosure areas used, can function as a relevant behavioural welfare measure for group-housed zoo animals, particularly when direct measures of behaviours are inconclusive.

Reproductive state influences the degree of risk tolerance for a seasonally breeding mesopredator

AbstractThe risk of predation can alter the way animals perceive costs and benefits in their environment, on which foraging decisions are made. To maximize fitness, animals with offspring show the most pronounced alteration in behavior because mothers experience increased nutritional requirements and increased vulnerability to predation. Therefore, the tolerance of risk is shaped, in part, by reproductive state. Like prey species, mesopredators balance a trade-off between food and predation to maximize fitness. However, few studies have acknowledged its importance. We investigated how mesopredators may alter their space use between periods when young are and are not vulnerable. Investigating the fine-scale space use of 19 packs of African wild dogs Lycaon pictus in the Kruger National Park, we found lower risk tolerance of denning packs; they re-visited area less frequently as lion and impala density increased and thus reduced the likelihood of risky encounters by avoiding areas where both risk and reward were high. By contrast, non-denning packs re-visited area less frequently as lion density increased and impala density decreased and thus avoided areas where reward was low, especially if risk was high. These results suggest that wild dogs shift their patterns of space use when the pack is most vulnerable. Ultimately, we found evidence of decreased risk tolerance by denning packs, likely because of increased vulnerability of lactating mothers and immobile pups. More broadly, our findings suggest that risk tolerance is dependent on reproductive state for mesopredators and should be considered as a possible mechanism for other mesopredators as well.

Fencing affects African wild dog movement patterns and population dynamics

AbstractWildlife fences are often considered an important tool in conservation. Fences are used in attempts to prevent human–wildlife conflict and reduce poaching, despite known negative impacts on landscape connectivity and animal movement patterns. Such impacts are likely to be particularly important for wide-ranging species, such as the African wild dogLycaon pictus, which requires large areas of continuous habitat to fulfil its resource requirements. Laikipia County in northern Kenya is an important area for wild dogs but new wildlife fences are increasingly being built in this ecosystem. Using a long-term dataset from the area's free-ranging wild dog population, we evaluated the effect of wildlife fence structure on the ability of wild dogs to cross them. The extent to which fences impeded wild dog movement differed between fence designs, although individuals crossed fences of all types. Purpose-built fence gaps increased passage through relatively impermeable fences. Nevertheless, low fence permeability can lead to packs, or parts of packs, becoming trapped on the wrong side of a fence, with consequences for population dynamics. Careful evaluation should be given to the necessity of erecting fences; ecological impact assessments should incorporate evaluation of impacts on animal movement patterns and should be undertaken for all large-scale fencing interventions. Where fencing is unavoidable, projects should use the most permeable fencing structures possible, both in the design of the fence and including as many purpose-built gaps as possible, to minimize impacts on wide-ranging wildlife.

Disentangling the roles of bottom‐up and top‐down drivers in the trade‐off between food acquisition and safety in prey with multiple predators

Abstract Prey face a trade‐off between acquiring food and avoiding predation, but food availability, and therefore its effect, is rarely measured in field studies investigating non‐lethal effects of predation. The main aim of this study was to investigate the role of the presence of predators in the functional adjustments of feeding parameters with patch quality in a medium‐sized herbivore. In Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe), we set up an experiment by manipulating, over two years, patch quality for impala Aepyceros melampus, a medium‐sized herbivore. We assess predation risk by monitoring the presence of three GPS‐equipped predators: African lions Panthera leo, spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta and African wild dogs Lycaon pictus. In enriched, fertilised plots the impalas reduced step rates (i.e. the rates of change in feeding stations), and increased their number of bites per feeding station while bite rates were not affected. Thus, the main adjustment of their feeding was the step rate. The total time the impalas spent vigilant appeared to be a good predictor of the variation of their bite rate. Although vigilance caused a reduction in bite rate when at a feeding station, the impalas reduced the relative costs of vigilance by continuing chewing and processing their food when scanning for predators. When predators were in the vicinity, the impalas increased their exclusive vigilance (high‐cost vigilance) but not their vigilance while chewing (low‐cost vigilance) and decreased their bite rate while their step rate and the number of bites per feeding station did not change significantly. The impalas were thus visually disconnected from their patch, and reduced their bite rate when actually foraging. Exclusive vigilance increased when both lions and hyaenas were in the vicinity, and when wild dogs were nearby. Patterns of vigilance that altered bite rate were linked to the presence of predators during the previous 24 hr. Over the long term patch quality was the main determinant of the feeding parameters (step rate and bite rate). This study shows how predators, by affecting the time prey devote to predator detection, shape the functional adjustments of food acquisition by prey to local patch quality. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Hidden Markov Models reveal a clear human footprint on the movements of highly mobile African wild dogs

Large carnivores have experienced considerable range contraction, increasing the importance of movement across human-altered landscapes between small, isolated populations. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are exceptionally wide-ranging, and recolonization is an important element of their persistence at broad scales. The competition-movement-connection hypothesis suggests that adaptations to move through areas that are unfavorable due to dominant competitors might promote the ability of subordinate competitors (like wild dogs) to move through areas that are unfavorable due to humans. Here, we used hidden Markov models to test how wild dog movements were affected by the Human Footprint Index in areas inside and outside of South Luangwa National Park. Movements were faster and more directed when outside the National Park, but slowed where the human footprint was stronger. Our results can be directly and quantitatively applied to connectivity planning, and we use them to identify ways to better understand differences between species in recent loss of connectivity.

When to stay and when to leave? Proximate causes of dispersal in an endangered social carnivore.

Reliable estimates of birth, death, emigration and immigration rates are fundamental to understanding and predicting the dynamics of wild populations and, consequently, inform appropriate management actions. However, when individuals disappear from a focal population, inference on their fate is often challenging. Here we used 30years of individual-based mark-recapture data from a population of free-ranging African wild dogs Lycaon pictus in Botswana and a suite of individual, social and environmental predictors to investigate factors affecting the decision to emigrate from the pack. We subsequently used this information to assign an emigration probability to those individuals that were no longer sighted within their pack (i.e. missing individuals). Natal dispersal (i.e. emigration from the natal pack) showed seasonal patterns with female dispersal peaking prior to the mating season and male dispersal peaking at the beginning of the wet season. For both sexes, natal dispersal rate increased in the absence of unrelated individuals of the opposite sex in the pack. Male natal dispersal decreased with increasing number of pups in the pack and increased in larger packs. Female natal dispersal decreased with increasing number of pups in larger packs, but increased with increasing number of pups in smaller packs. Individuals of both sexes were less likely to exhibit secondary dispersal (i.e. emigration from a pack other than the natal pack) if they were dominant and if many pups were present in the pack. Our models predicted that 18% and 25% of missing females and males, respectively, had likely dispersed from the natal pack, rather than having died. A misclassification of this order of magnitude between dispersal and mortality can have far-reaching consequences in the evaluation and prediction of population dynamics and persistence, and potentially mislead conservation actions. Our study showed that the decision to disperse is context-dependent and that the effect of individual, social and environmental predictors differs between males and females and between natal and secondary dispersal related to different direct and indirect fitness consequences. Furthermore, we demonstrated how a thorough understanding of the proximate causes of dispersal can be used to assign a dispersal probability to missing individuals. Knowledge of causes of dispersal can then be used within an integrated framework to more reliably estimate mortality rates.

Evaluating the use of local ecological knowledge (LEK) in determining habitat preference and occurrence of multiple large carnivores

Understanding habitat preferences and distribution of threatened species is a cornerstone of conservation, however many of the techniques available can be resource intensive. One cost-effective method is by collecting information on species presence and absence from people who regularly interact with the area of interest, also known as Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK). However, the reliability of this type of data has been questioned, especially when there is a possibility that the focal species is being misidentified or their presence misreported. This can introduce false negatives, when a species is present but has not been reported, and false positives, when the species has been reported but is not present. These biases are not always accounted for which can result in the under- or overestimation of species presence. To better understand the reliability of LEK data, we compared the outputs of five different analytical techniques to that of a more widely accepted approach, resource selection functions (RSF), using GPS-collar data from three different carnivore species (African lion Panthera leo, cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and African wild dog Lycaon pictus). Hierarchical models which accounted for the possibilities of both false negatives and false positives most closely matched that of the RSFs, especially for the two rarer species; African wild dog and cheetah. Our results show that when both false negatives and false positives are accounted for that LEK can be used as a rapid and cost-efficient tool for assessing threatened species which can be adopted into practical conservation projects.

Dynamics of a stochastic population model with Allee effects under regime switching

A stochastic single-species model with Allee effects under regime switching is developed and detected in the present study. First, extinction and persistence of the model are dissected. Subsequently, sufficient criteria are offered to ensure that the model possesses a unique ergodic stationary distribution. Finally, the theoretical outcomes are employed to evaluate the evolution of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in Africa, and some significant functions of stochastic perturbations are exposed.

Using faecal glucocorticoid metabolite analyses to elucidate stressors of African wild dogs Lycaon pictus from South Africa

There are few stressful factors which have been investigated to affect adrenocortical function in the African wild dog (AWD) Lycaon pictus. Understanding what animals perceive as stressors is important for not only the implementation of management practices promoting general animal welfare in captivity, but also because a prolonged stress perception is known to disrupt reproduction, immune function and ultimately pose a threat to survival. In this regard, faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) measurements are commonly used as a non-invasive approach to assess the impact of factors which may be acting as perceived stressors in wildlife. This study was aimed at determining if there are significant differences in AWD fGCM concentrations as a result of sex, presence of absence of an injury, age-class, body condition, dietary provisioning (through stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analysis), hierarchal status, and setting (i.e. captive or free-ranging). A total of 47 faecal samples were collected immediately post-defaecation from 39 AWDs across four free-ranging sites (Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Madikwe Game Reserve, Kruger National Park and the Waterberg), two permanently captive sites (Johannesburg and Pretoria Zoo), and four temporary captive holding facilities (Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and Maremani, Tembe and Zimanga bomas) in South Africa. Captive AWDs had distinctively higher fGCM levels than their free-ranging counterparts, regardless of sex, body condition, hierarchal status, age-class or dietary provisioning. The present study is the first to assess physiological stress responses across permanently captive, temporarily captive and free-ranging AWDs within the South African managed metapopulation, while incorporating the use of stable isotope analysis to quantify differences in dietary isotopic profiles between these different settings. Ultimately this demonstrates the usefulness of fGCM analysis as a tool for assessing animal welfare in both captive and free-ranging AWDs, and underpins the importance of understanding factors perceived as stressors for the management of the species. Keywords: animal welfare, body condition scoring, faecal glucocorticoid metabolite monitoring, managed metapopulation, stress, wildlife management.

Updated ranges of the Vulnerable cheetah and Endangered African wild dog in Angola

AbstractThe civil unrest that ravaged Angola for nearly 30 years took a heavy toll on the country's wildlife, and led to a lengthy absence of reliable information for many threatened species, including the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and African wild dog Lycaon pictus. Using camera trapping we assessed the status of these two species in two areas of southern Angola, and complemented our findings by reviewing recent survey reports and observations to provide an update on the species' status. We found unequivocal evidence that African wild dogs are resident and reproducing in Bicuar National Park, where cheetahs appear to be absent. Conversely, cheetahs may be resident in western Cuando Cubango province, where African wild dogs may only be transient. Based on these and other recent records in Angola, we recommend a revision of these species' distribution ranges and note the need for monitoring of these remnant populations and for appropriate attention to any threats.

Variable Barrier Permeability for a Pack of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) Reintroduced to Eastern Botswana

Variable Barrier Permeability for a Pack of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) Reintroduced to Eastern Botswana

Niche overlap and dietary resource partitioning in an African large carnivore guild

AbstractUnderstanding and quantifying a large carnivores’ feeding behaviour is a key component in determining its functional significance in an ecosystem, both in terms of its top‐down influence on prey species, but also its relationships with sympatric carnivores. Dietary overlap is one of the numerous niche dimensions used to characterize resource partitioning and potential competition within a community. We characterize the diet, potential dietary niche overlap and prey preference of a large African carnivore guild on small fenced protected areas. To quantify the potential inter‐ and intraspecific foraging competition, we analysed 5,128 kills, representing 35 prey species made by African wild dogs Lycaon pictus (n = 553), cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus (1,427), lions Panthera leo (2,648) and leopards P. pardus (500). Our results show that large African carnivores in small protected areas are exposed to considerable overlap in dietary resource utilization. At the interspecific level, African wild dogs and cheetahs displayed the greatest vulnerability to potential dietary competition. Lions exhibited marked differences in prey preference, mass and species utilization compared to the other carnivores. African wild dogs and cheetah females with dependent offspring occupied the greatest potential for dietary competition within the large carnivore guild. Using a case study based on the preferred biomass of prey available, we estimate the sustainable density of large carnivores at a small fenced prospective African wild dog reintroduction site. African wild dogs displayed the lowest mean predicted density compared to all sympatric predators with an expected population size of 7 individuals. Our research highlights the need to assess the influence of competitive forces in structuring and restoring large predators to portions of their historical range by identifying species most vulnerable to a potential reintroduction attempt. In the absence of controlled experiments, elucidating the influences of exploitation competition is challenging, and only through manipulating sympatric species presence and densities can these complex interactions be fully understood.

Landscape correlates of space use in the critically endangered African wild dog Lycaon pictus.

Human-carnivore conflict can threaten human life and livelihoods, leading to retaliation that negatively affects carnivore conservation. The endangered African wild dog Lycaon pictus is prone to human-carnivore conflict. Therefore, it is imperative to understand which landscape features are associated with African wild dog occurrence since selection or avoidance of these features could predict the levels of conflict. We investigated resource selection in the African wild dog in relation to four anthropogenic landscape features (livestock density, agriculture, roads and human land use) within the landscape that may pose a mortality risk, as well as one natural feature (nature reserves). We compared spatio-temporal space use patterns of four African wild dog packs in north-eastern South Africa. Data were collected from one collared individual per pack. These packs constituted approximately 10% of the total remaining African wild dog population in South Africa. Two packs occurred outside of the Kruger National Park and had access to multiple areas with farmland and other anthropogenic features, whereas the remaining two packs mainly occurred within the boundaries of the Kruger National Park but made occasional forays outside of park boundaries. Utilising Resource Selection Functions and GIS analyses, we found that agricultural landscape features, roads and nature reserves were important predictors of African wild dog occurrence for all four packs. In addition to potential conflict with farmers, high odds of occurrence on roads with fast-moving traffic and road mortality was highlighted as a concern for three of the packs. While farms and areas that house livestock were readily available, pack presence occurred in areas with few farms and low livestock densities, pointing to avoidance of areas where human-carnivore conflict and resulting mortality could occur. Our study highlights potential threats to the persistence of the African wild dog, which can be used to inform future conservation efforts of the species.

Factors affecting the success of artificial pack formation in an endangered, social carnivore: the African wild dog

AbstractSocial integration is an important factor when reintroducing group‐living species, but examples of the formation of social groups before reintroduction are largely lacking. African wild dogs Lycaon pictus are endangered, and reintroductions have become a routine part of range expansion in South Africa. Wild dogs form packs that are essential to their reproduction and survival, and artificial pack formation is often required before reintroduction. We examined the proximate (i.e. social integration) and ultimate (i.e. reproduction) success of 43 artificial pack formation attempts in the South African managed metapopulation, between 1995 and 2018. The top (and dominant) model for proximate success included an interaction between total group size and an initial separation fence. Larger groups took longer to integrate, irrespective of initial separation, whereas smaller groups brought together immediately integrated faster than those that were initially separated. The top models for ultimate success included an interaction between the proportion of males and number of days spent in the pre‐release enclosure, the total number of days in the enclosure and an interaction between the proportion of captive‐sourced individuals and the total number of days in the enclosure. Ultimate success increased when packs spent less time in the enclosure, especially if those packs had a low proportion of males (i.e. female biased) or included &gt;25% captive‐sourced individuals. Neither the size of the artificially created pack nor the season in which the pack was released affected ultimate success. The success of social integration and reproductive success of artificially formed packs in this study was higher than for natural pack formations. We provide guidelines for optimizing future artificial pack formation in wild dogs for reintroduction success. Our results serve as an example of the practical importance of social behavior in successfully implementing conservation measures for group‐living species.

Coping with climate change: limited behavioral responses to hot weather in a tropical carnivore

Climate change is widely accepted to be one of the greatest threats to species globally. Identifying the species most at risk is, therefore, a conservation priority. Some species have the capacity to adapt to rising temperatures through changing their phenology, behavior, distribution, or physiology, and, therefore, may be more likely to persist under rising temperatures. Recent findings suggest that the African wild dog Lycaon pictus may be impacted by climate change, since reproductive success is consistently lower when pup-rearing coincides with periods of high ambient temperature. We used GPS collars, combined with generalized linear mixed-effects models, to assess wild dogs’ potential to adapt to high ambient temperatures through flexible timing of hunting behavior. On days with higher maximum temperatures, wild dogs showed lower daytime activity and greater nocturnal activity, although nocturnal activity did not fully balance the decrease in daytime activity, particularly during the denning period. Increases in nocturnal activity were confined mainly to moonlit nights, and were seldom observed when packs were raising pups. Our findings suggest that nocturnal activity helps this cursorial hunter to cope with high daytime temperatures. However, wild dogs appear not to use this coping strategy when they are raising pups, suggesting that their resource needs may not be fulfilled during the pup-rearing period. Given that moonlight availability—which will not change as the climate changes—constrains wild dogs’ nocturnal activity, the species may have insufficient behavioral plasticity to mitigate increasing diurnal temperatures. These findings raise concerns about climate change impacts on this endangered species, and highlight the need for behavior to be considered when assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change.

The Effect of pack separation on social relationships and behaviour in captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are endangered carnivores with a population size that is currently estimated at 6.600 adults in the wild. The European Endangered Species Program (EEP) for African wild dogs aims to maintain a healthy zoo population that is sustainable on the long-term and thereby prevent extinction of the species. Safaripark Beekse Bergen is one of the zoos that participate in the African wild dog EEP and they faced some challenges in the captive management of their breeding pack by the death of the alpha-male. Nine male littermates were transferred to GaiaZOO in an attempt to restore the complex social structure and decrease the risk of inbreeding in the pack. This study evaluates this captive management decision by comparing the social relationships and behaviour in both zoos before and after pack separation. Changes in social relationships and behaviour imply that the remaining pack members in Safaripark Beekse Bergen formed a socially unstable pack after pack separation, while the nine male littermates formed a socially stable pack in GaiaZOO. Based on the results, recommendations are provided for further improving zoo animal management and the welfare of captive African wild dogs.