African Wild Dogs

African Wild Dogs are here!

HOUSTON ZOO OPENS NEW
AFRICAN WILD DOG EXHIBIT
Zoo Welcomes Blaze, Aries and Mikita
to Their New Home

Blaze is the boss.  Aries is curious.  Mikita is the cautious one.  They are the newest addition to the naturally wild Houston Zoo.  They're African wild dogs and they've just packed up and moved into their new home.  

Located near African lions, spectacled bears, and Ankole cattle, the new African wild dog exhibit features amenities that would make any canine feel right at home, including a pool and a cabana.  The exhibit's pool is 7 feet by 12 feet and 1.5 feet deep.  The cabana is a 12 feet by 12 feet shade structure.  The exhibit is landscaped with trees and sod and features two dens.  Zoo guests may observe Blaze, Aries and Mikita from a shaded viewing area.

 

Click here to view their photo gallery!

 

Andrew and Collyn

The arrival of African wild dogs at the Zoo is a testament to the tenacity of two young Houstonians, Andrew and Collyn Kellogg.

As their parents, Robin and Steve tell the story the boys interest in African wild dogs began 5 years ago when they attended the Zoo's Camp Zoofari summer camp.  They began doing research about the dogs, discovering they were the second most endangered mammal in Africa.  As their interest grew, they began talking to everyone who would listen - classmates, friends, teachers, store clerks - and found that few had ever heard of African wild dogs.

The boy's growing fascination with the animals steadily grew - Collyn dedicated his performance at a school talent show to saving African wild dogs; Andrew and Collyn made a display with pictures about the dogs and the family vet displayed it at his clinic. 

The boys launched a petition drive to bring African wild dogs to the Zoo, eventually collecting more than 800 signatures from classmates and even zoo keepers.  The petition signatures found a home on the desk of Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi and the rest is history. 

You can see Rick, Andrew, and Collyn being interviewed at the exhibits debut when you click here for the wild dogs photo gallery.

Just when you think you've seen all the exciting animals in the world, the Houston Zoo brings you something else new and exotic! African wild dogs, also known as painted dogs or Cape hunting dogs, are on their way and will be on exhibit for viewing in early summer. Their Latin name actually means "painted wolf", and when you see them, you will understand how they got their name. The markings on these beautiful canines are unique and can be used to identify individuals at a distance.

Adults usually weigh around 55 pounds, but they can get as large as 80 pounds. Be glad that you don't have to feed these beautiful dogs, because a hungry adult can eat up to 1/3 of its body weight at one sitting. But don't look for food fights between our three brothers, because they are the only large carnivores which peacefully share a meal without fighting over the food.

This relative of the domestic dog and the timber wolf is perhaps the most easily recognized member of the canine family with its large, almost comical, rounded ears, dappled coat of black, gold and white with tips on their tails. Regrettably, it is also one of the world's most endangered canids.

Early in the last century, this species ranged throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, principally a resident of savannahs and woodlands, but also an occasional visitor to the snows of Kilimanjaro according to some authorities. Today, however, the situation is drastically different. African wild dogs have been extirpated (eliminated) from 25 of the 39 countries in which they formerly inhabited. Biologists estimate that somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 individuals survive, with the largest remaining populations found in northern Botswana, western Zimbabwe, South Africa's Kruger National Park, and the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania.

Thankfully, the African wild dog is a prolific species, so remaining populations should be capable of bouncing back quickly if adequate protective measures are afforded them. Also, the species does well in captivity, and this summer the Houston Zoo will become the new home to a pack from the Bronx Zoo. We hope that they will welcome the change of climate, which more closely mimics that of their native terrain.

Make it a point to come out and see them, and be sure to bring your camera. They are nothing short of spectacular.