Dhole pups, new attraction at Mysore Zoo
Captive breeding
Seven dhole pups, born on November 19 last year, were released for public viewing at the Mysore Zoo on Thursday. Dhole, Cuon alpinus or wild dog, is a highly endangered species and is difficult to breed in captive conditions.
So far, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam zoos have successfully bred the dholes. With help and guidance from these zoos, dhole was successfully bred in Mysore Zoo for the first time, according to a press release from Zoo Executive Director B P Ravi.
The Mysore Zoo received a pair of adult dholes from Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, in 2009.
The dholes are social animals. In the wild, both parents and offsprings help in raising the newborns.
They burrow the ground to make a natural den. After a gestation period of 60 to 62 days, the mother dhole delivers an average of four to six pups in a litter. The newborns suckle for two months and eat the regurgitated food from the parent till six months.
According to the press release, the Zoo authorities noticed mating behaviour in mid-September and pregnancy was diagnosed by 35th day based on the visible changes in the female.
Since the pair did not show any signs of burrowing its own den, an artificial den was prepared for breeding.
CCTVs installed
Three holding rooms and an artificial den was constructed for confining the animals for the next two months. The flooring was modified for easy cleaning and CCTV cameras were installed in the den and holding rooms for round-the-clock monitoring.
The floor of the den was fitted with wooden planks to keep the newborn pups warm. The dholes are very shy animals and get excited easily.
Therefore, the keeper passage was covered with plastic sheets to prevent visible disturbances and visitor path was diverted away from the dhole enclosure.
The mother dhole was fed twice a day with special nutritional supplements to help in lactation and to withstand the stress of parturition.
On November 19, the female dhole delivered seven pups after five hours of labour. The male dhole kept a constant watch outside the den. During feeding, it used to wait till the female had its meal.
From the third day onwards, the male dhole started to go inside the den and occasionally lick its pups. The pups –– four male and three female –– are now 65 days old and weigh 2.8 to 3.3 kg.
