title: Additive opportunistic capture explains group hunting benefits in African wild dogs.
abstract: African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are described as highly collaborative endurance pursuit hunters based on observations derived primarily from the grass plains of East Africa. However, the remaining population of this endangered species mainly occupies mixed woodland savannah where hunting strategies appear to differ from those previously described. We used high-resolution GPS and inertial technology to record fine-scale movement of all members of a single pack of six adult African wild dogs in northern Botswana. The dogs used multiple short-distance hunting attempts with a low individual kill rate (15.5%), but high group feeding rate due to the sharing of prey. Use of high-level cooperative chase strategies (coordination and collaboration) was not recorded. In the mixed woodland habitats typical of their current range, simultaneous, opportunistic, short-distance chasing by dogs pursuing multiple prey (rather than long collaborative pursuits of single prey by multiple individuals) could be the key to their relative success in these habitats.
authors.affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL97TA, UK.
authors.forename: Tatjana Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hubel
authors.affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL97TA, UK.|School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Julia P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Myatt
authors.affiliation: Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana.|Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2015 Australia.|Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Applied Eco-Logic Group, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, New South Wales 2830 Australia.
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL97TA, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Dewhirst
authors.affiliation: Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana.
authors.forename: J Weldon
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McNutt
authors.affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL97TA, UK.
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000351:Africa, Eastern; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D010944:Plants; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running