4 African painted pups to leave their den behind
It’s the year of the dog, and four adorable African painted puppies are bringing the spirit to the Denver Zoo starting Friday.
The three males — Nigel, Theodore Roosevelt and Livingstone — and the lone female, Cholula, are healthy, curious, playful and ready for their public debut, according to news release from the Denver Zoo.
The brown puppies, with black and white markings, will be out and about from noon to 2 p.m. daily in the Pahali Ya Mwana yard in Benson Predator Ridge starting Friday, through the end of the month.
After March 1, guests can look for the well-camouflaged canines in various Benson Predator Ridge habitats, depending on the weather.
The pups, who will grow up to be roughly 40 to 80 pounds and stand approximately 30 inches tall at the shoulder were born Nov. 20 in Denver.
Their mother, Tilly, has kept them nestled in a protective den since their birth.
The African wild dog — which has only four toes on its front paws rather than five — is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with only about 6,600 worldwide. Habitat fragmentation, conflict with human activities and infectious disease have prompted their declining population.
The dogs were brought to Denver because the Denver Zoo is a leader in the management of African wild dogs within the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The Zoo has produced 32 puppies since 2001.
The Denver Zoo also does work outside the state. In Botswana, researchers track painted dog pups via radio and GPS collars to reduce conflicts with humans. They’ve also done work in improving the management and sustainability of the species, including genetic, reproductive and behavioral studies.