African wild dogs are highly social, wide-ranging predators. Their welfare in zoos depends on group cohesion and adequate space for natural social behaviour.
African wild dog welfare in zoos presents specific challenges around social complexity and movement needs. These animals evolved as cooperative hunters that run extended distances daily. Zoo enclosures cannot replicate wild spatial scale but can provide large, complex spaces encouraging natural movement and social interaction. Pack composition must be carefully managed - new individuals require slow introduction.