Five rare bush dog pups have emerged from their den at Chester Zoo – and they are the only pups of the species to have been born in the UK this year.
The youngsters were born around a month ago to four-year-old mum Molly following a 65-day pregnancy and are now beginning to explore their surroundings alongside their parents and older siblings.
The new arrivals are part of a European conservation breeding programme designed to maintain a genetically healthy population of bush dogs and help safeguard the future of the species.
Richard Tyson, Carnivore Keeper at Chester Zoo, said:
“At this stage, they’re just little furry potatoes. They toddle around a bit, but mostly they huddle together in a pile.
“It won’t be long before they’re eating solid food, and we’ll start providing them with little bits of chicken or rabbit to try over the next few weeks.”
At birth, each pup weighed between 120g and 150g – roughly the weight of a can of sardines.
Keepers initially left Molly and her new family undisturbed inside one of three dens, meaning they did not immediately know exactly how many pups had been born.
One of the first signs that the birth had been successful came when keepers heard the youngsters. Bush dog pups make distinctive high-pitched chirping noises which can sound surprisingly similar to birds.
The five pups are now becoming increasingly confident as they venture out of the den, while their older brothers and sisters have also been taking a keen interest in the new additions to the family.
Richard said:
“The older brothers and sisters like to move the little pups around, but they have quite short legs, so they can’t lift them fully off the ground. They get bumped around a bit and then you hear a lot of squeaking.
“That’s when Molly comes over and tells them off. Dad Charlie has been protective too. It’s all normal – the family is getting along well and the pups look healthy.”
Bush dogs are native to parts of Latin America, where they live in family groups across a variety of habitats. Despite having a relatively wide geographical range, the species can be locally rare and faces threats including habitat loss, hunting and disease.
The loss and degradation of natural habitat is of particular concern, with activities including soy production putting increasing pressure on areas inhabited by bush dogs and other wildlife.
Chester Zoo’s conservation teams are working alongside partners in Latin America to protect wildlife and habitats, including supporting research into the effects of soy farming on wildlife in Brazil.
Paul Bamford, Regional Field Programme Senior Manager for Chester Zoo’s Latin America conservation work, said:
“We’re working on landscape projects in Latin America designed to support multiple species, including bush dogs.
“Soy farming has been identified as a key threat to bush dog populations, but research like this can help us understand the impacts on wildlife and inform better production standards for the industry.
“We hope the newborn pups at the zoo will help people discover a species they may never have heard of and understand why protecting wildlife and habitats in Latin America is important.”
Conservationists from the zoo have also captured footage of wild-born bush dogs on camera traps while monitoring wildlife in the country.
The five new arrivals are currently the youngest bush dogs living in the UK.
A total of 25 bush dog pups have been born across Europe so far this year, meaning one fifth of them were born at Chester Zoo.
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