We are excited to announce that on the morning of the 2nd December 2018, keepers arrived to find 3 adorable bush dog pups cuddled up with mum Nina, our female bush dog! Nina and her pups are doing extremely well and dad Nico is has also been very attentive and is helping mum to look after the growing family.

In March 2018 Nina gave birth to the pair’s first litter that have since been named Oakley, Ozara and Octavia. They have been enjoying getting to know their younger siblings and Oakley in particular has been very attentive bringing the pups extra bark and leftover enrichment such as boxes and paper. 

The new arrivals will continue to stick close to mum inside their den until they are strong enough to venture outside and so cannot currently be seen at the enclosure; however the rest of the family are still spending time in the outdoor area.

bush dog pups full width

Bush dogs are a rare and unusual canid, with short legs, a bushy tail, a rounded muzzle and webbed feet! The birth of the pups is extremely important to not only Colchester Zoo but also to this species which is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.