Why painted
dog name?
What’s in a name?
Lycaon pictus has many names…
…let’s not get DOGmatic!
Good old Lycaon pictus has many names in English – wild dog, painted dog, Cape hunting dog, African wild dog and painted wolf. Strange for an animal so few know exist and even less care.
Painted wolf is in fact the closest translation to the scientific name Lycaon pictus. Painted Wolf Foundation adopted this moniker ahead of the BBC Documentary Dynasties: Painted Wolves, in which David Attenborough introduced them and reached an audience of a billion people. The Founders felt that there had to be a conservation effort using the name “Painted Wolf” to bring more information on this beleaguered creature on the back of such amazing exposure.
The name painted dog was adopted for the Painted Dog Fund, simply because it is a name more familiar to people in the United States and also to avoid confusion with PWF.
The name Painted Wolf is gaining popularity in Europe and Africa, but can also be highly contentious for some. To us the main issue is not their name, but what can be done to save them from extinction. We do not mind what people call them as long as they don’t become … DOGmatic!
