It’s the year of the dog, and four adorable African painted dogs are bringing the spirit to the Denver Zoo starting Friday.
Nigel, Theodore Roosevelt, and Livingstone along with one female puppy, Cholula, are healthy, curious and playful, and ready for their public debut, according to a Denver Zoo news release.
The four brown puppies with black and white markings will be out and about every day from 12-2 p.m. 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 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 only has 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 been the causes of their demise.
The dogs were brought to Denver, not on a whim but because 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.
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.
