Effective species conservation depends upon correctly identifying the threatsthat cause decline or hinder recovery. Because estimates of the relativeviability of different populations of Endangered African wild dogs Lycaon pictus are most strongly influenced by adultand pup mortality, we analysed rates and causes of mortality in eight wild dogpopulations under study in southern and eastern Africa. The probabilities ofdetecting wild dog deaths were influenced by the monitoring methods used. Theleast biased estimates of mortality causes were obtained through intensivemonitoring of radio-collared individuals; this is impossible for pups, however.Mortality patterns varied substantially between populations. Rates ofhuman-caused mortality were higher for wild dogs radio-collared outsideprotected areas than for those collared inside, but rates of natural mortalitywere comparable, suggesting that anthropogenic mortality is additive to naturalmortality. The relative importance of factors such as snaring and infectiousdisease also varied regionally. Hence, although our analyses identified no newthreats beyond those highlighted in a 1997 range-wide Action Plan, they suggestthat local plans will be valuable to target conservation activities moreprecisely.