Selous Game reserve is home to around 1,300 wild dogs, also known as painted wolves. These carnivores measure up to 80 cm at the withers and weigh around 30 kg, with a life expectancy of 12 years. Their unique coat of brown, black, yellow and white makes each individual recognisable.

Dogs live in packs of around twenty, led by a breeding pair. The whole pack looks after the litter, and there is a hierarchy between males and females. They are nomadic most of the time, and their territory is vast. Wild dogs hunt in groups, relying on their stamina to capture zebra, wildebeest and antelope, and consume around 150g of meat a day.

The species is under serious threat, falling from 500,000 individuals at the start of the 21st century to less than 3,000 today, mainly due to human activities. Loss of habitat, increased roads, inbreeding and diseases such as the distemper virus, transmitted by domestic dogs, are exacerbating their decline.