Wild dogs are democratic and they vote by sneezing

African wild dogs.
(Image credit: TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images)

Dogs might not have campaign signs, buttons, or televised debates, but packs in Botswana are still democratic. Moreover, they cast their votes by sneezing, researchers at the New South Wales University in Australia Center for Ecosystem Science have discovered.

By studying five different wild dog packs in the Okavango Delta, the researchers found that the canines would first vote on if they wanted to go hunting by sneezing, Quartz reports. "The more sneezes that occurred, the more likely it was that the pack moved off and started hunting," explained researcher Neil Jordan.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.