Babies boost family!

Dudley Zoo and Castle’s bush dog family has been boosted by the arrival of four more pups!

Seven-year-old Dora gave birth to another litter of four pups during the summer, who are already delighting visitors with their antics alongside their four older brothers, Diego, Pablo, Bruno and Carlos.

And during a recent health check, the zoo’s veterinary team discovered the new arrivals were three more boys and a girl – who have all yet to be named!

The newest additions have also recently received their vaccinations and microchip, as they’re registered on the global animal database.

Senior Curator Richard Brown said: “We’re really pleased to see our family unit grow bigger. Dora and dad, Twenké are great parents and are once again being really attentive to their newest arrivals.

“As a threatened species, it’s great news for species numbers in general, but also wonderful news for us here at Dudley Zoo!”

Only the two alpha dogs will breed in a pack, with the gestation period being around 60 – 70 days.

Females can give birth to up to six pups and all family members will help to care and protect the youngsters.

Native to South America, bush dogs are classified as Near Threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, with habitat loss being the primary reason.