Predation on bat-eared foxes Otocyon megalotis by Cape hunting dogs Lycaon pictus

摘要

The predatory habits of the Cape hunting dog Lycaon pictus have been well documented, and have been found to include almost exclusively mammalian herbivores (Childes 1988). The prey species chosen varies from area to area according to availability, with wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and Thompson's gazelle, Gazella thomsonii being recorded as preferred prey in East Africa (Malcolm & Van Lawick 1975), whereas impala Aepyceros melampus, kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros and duiker Sylvicapra grimmia are predominantly selected in southern Africa (Fuller & Kat 1990). This paper documents a case of a pack of Cape hunting dogs preying specifically on bat-eared foxes.