Wild dogs move into new homes at Exmoor Zoo

Rare endangered African wild dogs have set up home at Exmoor Zoo after three years of work to bring them to North Devon.

The painted or hunting dog is instantly recognized for its unique coat patterns, but it is also verging on extinction.

Danny Reynolds, one of the partners at the zoo near Bratton Fleming said: “This wild dog of Africa has got to be potentially one of the most likely species of dogs to become extinct in the wild in the near future.

“With less than 1,200 breeding adults alive and these animals scattered in segmented groups across sub-Sahara Africa in packs isolated from one another, time is beginning to run out for the hunting dogs.”

The Exmoor dogs are three sisters from Port Lympne Wildlife Park in Kent and are about one-and-half years old.

The zoo’s curator Derek Gibson added: “Today’s role of a zoo is not just to exhibit animals but the right animals, those that need the effort of all of us to be able to stay alive in the near future.

“This is why we have joined the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA) as well as our British counterpart the British Association of zoos & Aquaria (BIAZA). By doing this and complying with their requirements as well as our -read more