Five bush dog pups, the only ones born in the UK this year, have emerged from their den at Chester Zoo. Born around a month ago to four-year-old Molly after a 65-day pregnancy, the youngsters are now beginning to explore their surroundings alongside their parents and older siblings.
Part of European Conservation Breeding Programme
The pups are part of a European conservation breeding programme, which aims 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.”
Birth Weight and Early Days
The pups weighed between 120g and 150g at birth - roughly the weight of a can of sardines. Keepers initially left Molly and her new family undisturbed in one of three dens, so they did not know exactly how many pups had been born.
One of the first clues that the birth had been a success was the sound of the youngsters – bush dog pups make high-pitched chirping noises that sound surprisingly like birds.
The pups are now becoming more confident, with their older brothers and sisters taking a keen interest in their new siblings.
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.”
Threats and Conservation Work
Bush dogs are found across parts of Latin America, where they live in family groups in a variety of habitats. Despite their wide range, they are often locally rare and face threats including habitat loss, hunting and disease.
The loss and degradation of habitat is a particular concern, with activities including soy production putting pressure on areas where bush dogs and other wildlife live.
Chester Zoo’s conservation teams are working with partners in Latin America to protect wildlife and habitats, including supporting research into the impacts 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.”
Chester Zoo’s conservation teams have also recorded wild-born bush dogs using camera traps while monitoring wildlife in Brazil. The five pups are currently the youngest bush dogs living in the UK. Twenty-five bush dog pups have been born in Europe so far this year, with a fifth of them born at Chester Zoo.
