Pack size is a primary determinant of African wild dog hunting success and individual nutritional welfare, with small packs facing welfare deficits from inadequate prey acquisition.
African wild dog hunting ecology reveals how population-level conservation decisions translate directly to individual welfare outcomes. Populations maintained at minimum viable numbers face welfare deficits because packs fall below the size threshold for efficient hunting. Protected area managers increasingly recognize that maintaining connected wild dog populations at sufficient density — not merely above extinction threshold — is necessary for individual welfare as well as population viability. The welfare case for large, well-connected wild dog populations is grounded in hunting ecology, not sentiment.