To celebrate, the dogs put their natural hunting skills to work as they tackled a kangaroo carcass on their brand-new zip-line.   

For more than 40 action-packed minutes, the painted dogs sprang into action, leaping, chasing and working together as a team to tackle the ‘prey’ and enjoy the tasty reward.

Carnivore keeper Kalani Scott said enrichment like this provides valuable physical and mental stimulation for the dogs.

“As a social carnivore, African Painted Dogs rely on teamwork to catch their prey,” Kalani said.

“The zip-line mimics some of the challenges they would face in the wild and makes feeding time much more stimulating.

“They have to work together to bring down the carcass, using their strength, agility and communication skills to work out the best way to access their food.”

To satisfy their carnivorous instincts and mimic natural feeding patterns, our painted dogs enjoy a carcass feed around twice a week.

“The more the dogs use the zip-line, the more they build their fitness, coordination and strength,” Kalani said.

“They're using their neck muscles and agility to jump and grab the prey, rather than simply pulling food from the ground.

“Not only is it great for the pack, but it’s incredible for visitors to watch these amazing dogs in action.”

Painted dogs live in complex social groups, and our six-member pack has a clearly established order.

The eldest female, Muhumi, leads the pack closely followed by her daughter Akina and then the three males, Suhuba, Asin and Shujaa.

While the pack was celebrating World Painted Dog Day, their cousins in the wild are facing a very different challenge.  

Painted Dogs are the most persecuted carnivore in Africa and once widespread across Africa, they are now reduced to small, endangered populations.

The greatest threat to painted dogs are human-driven including habitat loss and increasing pressures from civilisation. They are indiscriminately shot by farmers, caught in snares or become victim to road accidents.

Painted dogs also face threats from diseases spread by domestic dogs and competition and predation from larger carnivores like lions and hyaenas. 

But thanks to our conservation partner Painted Dog Conservation Inc, African Painted Dogs are making a comeback.

Through our ongoing support, a team of dedicated rangers work tirelessly to run anti-snare and anti-poaching patrols, conduct veterinary programs, and teach children in Zambia about protecting precious wildlife.

Visitors can help our mission in protecting African Painted Dogs by purchasing unique giftware handcrafted from snares removed from the wild.

Available exclusively at the Zoo shop which is open every day from 9am-5pm.