Five bush dog pups have emerged from their den at Chester Zoo, just one month after their birth.
The pups, born to four-year-old Molly after a 65-day pregnancy, have been exploring their new surroundings with their parents and older siblings.
Each pup weighed between 120g and 150g at birth. Keepers had left the pups undisturbed with their mother in a den, and therefore did not know how many pups had been born.
It was only after they heard the youngsters making high-pitched chirping noises that the keepers knew that the birth had been a success.
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.”
The pups have since grown in confidence, with their brothers and sisters taking keen interest in them.
Richard added: “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.”
The pups are part of a European conservation breeding programme, with keepers working to maintain a genetically healthy population of bush dogs to safeguard the species.
Bush dogs are native to Latin America, living in family groups in a variety of habitats. They are locally rare, facing threats including habitat loss, hunting and disease.
Conservationists are particularly concerned about the loss and degradation of bush dogs’ natural habitat.
Paul Bamford, who manages Chester Zoo’s Latin America conservation work, said: “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.”
Image © Chester Zoo
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