Likaon - ginący drapieżnik Afryki

The article describes the situation of African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) both in its natural environment and in zoological gardens. It is estimated that only between 3.000 and 5.500 wild dogs, in perhaps 600-1.000 packs, remain in sub-Saharan Africa today. Therefore the species has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN World Conservation Union. The first group of factors leading to the decline of the African wild dog’s population consists of natural causes:1) direct and indirect competition with other predators and2) intraspecific competition (reproductive suppression of social subordinates, infanticide). The second group embraces unnatural causes: 1) direct persecution by man, 2) snaring, 3) road casualties, 4) infectious diseases (rabies, canine distemper), 5) habitat loss. The situation in zoological gardens is also difficult. There are currently about 200 animals under European Endangered Species Programme, but their reproduction is very poor both in the number of young born and raised