Pueblo Zoo’s African painted dog welcomes new pups

The Pueblo Zoo’s alpha female African painted dog, Akilah gave birth to five puppies last Monday. She gave birth to four puppies comparably fast, with the fifth one waiting another eight hours to make its arrival.

Of the five puppies Akilah gave birth to, only three of them were strong enough to survive.

African painted dogs have an interesting relationship with one another. In order for the pups to be successful in the pack, mom and the rest of the dogs must raise the newborns on their own. T he zoo’s animal care staff spent the year prior working with other experts within the industry and building three den boxes designed specifically for African painted dogs.

This was Akilah’s first litter and the new babies are reportedly doing well.

For more information about the African painted dog species, head to the Pueblo Zoo’s website. There, you can also find more PUPdates on Akliah and her babies.