‘DEVIL'S DOG' TO RECEIVE A MAKEOVER

A leading British wildlife artist hopes to boost the battered image of the African wild dog by making it the subject of his latest project.

Nicknamed ‘devil's dogs' due to their fearsome reputation, wild dogs are perhaps the only beasts to score as poorly in the popularity stakes as the hyena – the villains of Disney's The Lion King.

Listed as the second most endangered carnivore in Africa , they have been traditionally viewed as dangerous pests, loathed by farmers and overlooked by tourists. Population figures which once reached 500,000 have now plummeted to just 3,000 across the continent.

Robert Fuller, who combines his full-time painting job with conservation work, travels to Tanzania 's Serengeti national park this month to observe the dogs for a new series of paintings.

“I think they are wonderful animals. When you see them in the wild, wagging their tales and running around in circles they are so playful. They are just like domestic dogs in the way that they behave; it is so surprising that they aren't loved as much.”

Mr Fuller, whose highly detailed and technically accurate paintings of British wildlife have earned him the attention of the National Trust and the RSPB, hopes to produce a number of new works celebrating wild dogs.

“They are really beautiful animals,” he said. But it will take all the skill of this popular artist to make these dogs lovable.

Beauty is not a word often associated with them. They have large, broad heads and fearsome jaws -accommodating teeth with the strongest ‘bite force' of any other carnivore.

This brutal face is then topped with comical Mickey Mouse-shaped ears and sits atop a thin wiry body. And this, like a badly-drawn Disney villain in camouflage combat gear, sports a coat splashed with dark brown, gold, white and black splotches.

All the more striking for a work of art, according to Mr Fuller, whose paintings are sought after across the globe. He hopes to capture the dog's ‘lovable' side in paint.

“They are amazing in the way they operate together as a pack. They are so organised. There is a role for every member of the pack and it seems to be organised according to their abilities.

“Some of them have to stay at home and look after the pups, whilst the others go out on a hunt. On a hunt, they will exhaust their prey by running almost in relay – with dogs running slowly at the back, suddenly speeding up and taking charge of the chase when the ones in front one get tired.”

Like domestic dogs, Lycaon pictus (Greek for ‘painted wolf'), wild dogs hunt in packs. And it is the efficiency of the way in which they slaughter that has earned them their ruthless reputation as killers. They can bring down a large antelope such as a kudu (which can weigh anything up to 500lbs) or even a zebra quicker and with more success than a lion. They can even disembowel prey while it is still on the run.

“This sounds cruel, but actually the animal is usually dead within seconds this way. It is much quicker and more efficient than say a lion kill, where it can take up to 10 minutes for the animal to die,” says Mr Fuller.

Some conservationists claim that is the term ‘wild dog' which has contributed to much of its persecution and there is a campaign among African wildlife experts to boost its image by using its other name, ‘painted dogs'.

But it is mainly the dog's shrinking habitat that has brought about its doom. Ousted from many national parks by larger predators, such as lions, they are forced to subsist on the fringes of the parks where they are regarded as pests by livestock herders and farmers.

Mr Fuller hopes to capture the dog's friendlier side when he goes to photograph them for studies for his paintings this month.

“I first saw the dogs when I was in Botswana actually photographing giraffe and it struck me that they were fun and playful. They are very hard to see in the wild though and I really hope I get to see them this time.

If successful, Mr Fuller will hold an exhibition featuring the wild dogs at his gallery in Thixendale, north Yorkshire . The artist travels abroad every year to photograph wild animals and birds for his paintings. He then holds an exhibition to show the new work, which can attract up to 3,000 people.