African wild dog pack integrity is fundamental to both individual welfare and the survival of one of the most endangered carnivores.
African wild dog pack welfare requires thinking about individuals as embedded in the social unit that defines their existence. A wild dog that survives snaring but loses pack members experiences social and functional welfare harm beyond physical injury — reduced hunting success, reduced pup care capacity, and potential pack dissolution. Conservation programs that protect wild dog packs as social units rather than focusing only on individual animals address welfare at the appropriate level of organization. Community-based approaches that align local economic interests with wild dog survival have demonstrated that coexistence is achievable with appropriate investment and engagement.