The National Zoo and Aquarium is currently home to four male African painted dogs. Photo: Natalie Pettett.
Did you know the National Zoo and Aquarium’s African painted dog pack is a crucial element in the efforts to save this endangered species?
Canine father Hasani, and his three sons Saka, Akita and Araka, are currently a bachelor group but their genes are part of a pool shared between Australia and New Zealand.
African painted dog species coordinator Sophie Dentrinos said there were currently only 58 of the dogs in the Australasia region, but that could quickly change.
“Their litter sizes are quite large, they can have up to 14 or 15 in a litter,” she said.
“[The boys] are only six. They’re about halfway through their life expectancy, so hopefully there’s still a chance they’ll have the ability to contribute, if needed, for the program in the future.
“[Hasani] has been part of that breeding program in the past.”
Breeding programs for African painted dogs aren’t just about creating babies.
The dogs are social and need to learn about rearing pups and caring for one another.
Senior carnivore keeper Katie Ness said the pack would also care for the young and elderly who couldn’t keep up with the rest of the group.
“In a previous group of dogs … we had one dog that was too scared to move over to another yard for feeding,” she said.
“So his brothers would go and get the food for him and bring it back over to the space that he was feeling comfortable in.
“They’re a pretty unique species.”
Only about 7000 African painted dogs are left in the wild due to ongoing habitat loss, human conflict and disease.
Ms Dentrinos said they’re often persecuted for domestic livestock loss in Africa and get caught up in snares as part of the bush meat trade.
“They’re unfortunately that perfect size where they walk into snares, get stuck around their limbs or their head,” she said.
“A lot of the conservation organisations dedicated to protecting painted dogs are out there to try and remove those snares, and to locate those animals snared and try and save them.
“By having a single-sex group here at the National Zoo, these guys are our ambassadors.”
The National Zoo and Aquarium recently marked World African Painted Dog Day. The zoo is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
