A tiny trio
of bush dog pups have been spotted emerging from their den for the first time
at Chester Zoo.
A litter of pups arrived to first time mum and dad on Friday
7 August after a three-month gestation and have since been keeping warm in
their den – although it’s not yet known how many were born.
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Tim
Rowlands, curator of mammals at the zoo, said:
“We’ve managed to spot three pups so far, although there could be more! At just
four weeks old the litter is still comfortable in their den but we expect the
pups to grow in confidence over the coming weeks and slowly start to explore
the outside world.
“Once they have fully emerged from their den we
will do their first health check, which includes weighing, sexing,
microchipping and recording any individual markings so that we can monitor
their progress closely.”
Bush dogs are a member of the canine family (Canidae) and live in small
isolated subpopulations in the wet forests and grasslands of Central and South
America, where they have evolved to have specialised skin between their toes to
make them excellent swimmers.
The species is classified by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as near threatened due to a range of threats,
including loss of habitat for farming, loss of prey species and contracting
diseases from other canines and domestic dogs.
Chester Zoo is part of an ongoing conservation programme with the species in Misiones,
Argentina, which aims to establish a biological corridor of habitat for a range
of different carnivorous species.
Bush dog facts
- The scientific name for the species is Speothos venaticus and they are commonly
called vinegar dogs or savannah dogs.
- Bush dogs belong to the canine family (Canidae)
- The species is listed as near threatened
according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN)
red list
- They are found in forests of Central and South
America
- Their main threats are wide-ranging and include
habitat destruction due to farming and development; conflict with humans;
poaching; spread of disease from introduction to domestic dogs
| Bush Dogs at Chester Zoo
A tiny trio of bush dog pups have been spotted emerging from their den for the first time at Chester Zoo. |