Read the passage. African Wild Dogs: Ultimate Predators?
Many books, papers, and television shows have created an image of the African wild dog
as the ultimate predator. According to these sources, the dogs' coordinated teamwork and
their unusual endurance help them catch about eighty percent of their prey. A 2012 study
tested that notion. Researchers fit a pack of wild dogs with special collars that recorded
the dogs' positions and speeds. The data that the collars recorded allowed the
researchers to learn what the dogs did when they weren't being observed. The results
provided a surprising contrast with the dogs' fierce reputation. The dogs never used
teamwork in their hunts; they chased their prey over short distances as opposed to long
runs; and instead of eighty percent, they brought down only about sixteen percent of
0023 04
HR MIN SEC
SmartScore
out of 100
57
their prey.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A
African wild dogs have a reputation as fierce hunters who work in teams, but
new data suggests otherwise.
A study shows that African wild dogs catch about sixteen percent of their prey
and do not use teamwork in hunting.
Submit