They’re not feral animals; the name “African Wild Dog” is an unfortunate misnomer. They are a distinct, very old species, not closely related to dogs or wolves, and not at all related to hyenas, except that they are both within the Carnivora. “African Painted Wolf” or “African Painted Dog” would be a better common name for them, so that people would not assume they are just wild or feral domestic dogs. They are among the most intelligent of canids and among the most endangered animaals on earth.

The Pittsburgh Zoo is one of only two zoos in the world that has ever successfully bred and raised them. Five of these animals were from a litter born at the zoo a couple of years ago. (There were ten puppies in the litter, but the mother died shortly of a ruptured uterus after the birth, and the puppies were hand-raised at the zoo.) They have a very well-respected and justifiably famous partnership with a conservation program in Africa to try to save these astonishing animals from extinction.

I agree that it was unwise of the mother to lift the child up to the rail; a child that age can easily overbalance and fall, and they are just the size, shape, and weight to be difficult to hold onto. But having raised my own children safely to adulthood, I can’t find it in my heart to trash the mother; it’s such a common thing to lift a child up so that they can see, when the little guy is begging and surrounded by big people blocking their view. I’m sure she never dreamed that she would lose her grip on the child, or that something so tragic could happen so quickly.

I agree that the dog who would not leave the body had to be shot. Dogs and wolves in a pack begin to eat the animals they pull down while the animals are still alive. If there was any chance at all that the little fellow was still alive, they had to get him out of there. I don’t want to imagine the horror that was for the people who had to watch. They couldn’t just let the dog eat the baby in front of all those people.

The fact that they were immediately able to call most of the dogs away speaks volumes about the animals’ intelligence and tractability. I hate that they had to shoot one, but they made the right decision.

How closely related are these to hyenas? They look pretty indistinguishable to me, and I had never even heard of these.

I hate to say it but it’s just plain stupidity!