Endangered African-Painted Dog Gives Birth To Six Pups In Oklahoma Zoo

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden officials recently announced the birth of six African-painted dog pups. Born on November 5 and 6, the pups are born to Pele, a 3-year-old African-painted dog and first-time mother who joined the zoo in October 2021. Tyler Boyd, the zoo's curator of carnivores, said that this is the first family of African-painted dogs at the facility since 2016.

The African-painted dog, also known as the African wild dog, ranks among the world's most endangered mammals, as stated by the World Wildlife Fund. According to the Oklahoma City Zoo, the species' population in the wild witnessed a decline from approximately 11,800 dogs in 2010 to around 5,000 by 2022. The zoo emphasizes its longstanding commitment to supporting these endangered animals, both within the zoo and in their natural habitat.

Tyler Boyd emphasized the need to support conservation initiatives created especially for African-painted dogs. He emphasized the value of educating zoo visitors about this fascinating species and the need to actively participate in initiatives that support African-painted dog conservation across their range. The ultimate objective is to help save this amazing species from extinction and contribute to its preservation.

Boyd highlighted that the current emphasis is on letting the mother form a close bond with the newcomers behind the scenes, which is essential to their general wellbeing. African-painted dogs are characterized as gregarious animals that form groups of two to forty dogs. They are distinguished by their characteristic tricolored coat, large ears, and fluffy white tails.

According to the zoo, Southern Africa and southern parts of East Africa host the largest remaining populations of these endangered mammals, as highlighted by the World Wildlife Fund. The Oklahoma City Zoo, caring for the species since 1972, currently houses nine painted dogs.