African Painted Dog Akina proved to be the picture of health in her latest check-up!

Each dog within our pack have individualised welfare plans made up of enrichment activities, specialised diets and of course, a scheduled visit to the Vet Hospital every couple of years.

At two-years-old, this was Akina’s very first check as an adult!

During the procedure, the veterinary team conducted thorough checks of her body condition and mobility, took X-rays and drew blood samples for testing.

The team were also prepared to carry out a dental scale and clean but were please to find her teeth in near mint condition!

Perth Zoo Veterinarian Taylor Hawkins said: “This routine check-up showed Akina is in good shape, and in particular her dental health is excellent!

“Even for a young dog, her teeth are in great condition which suggests she’s getting to chew through plenty of bones during feeding time.

“Painted Dogs have quite a complex social structure, so we tend to be quite hands-off with our care.

“That’s why these routine checks are important – it means we can get nice and close and gather all the baseline information needed to provide targeted care throughout her life.

“Akina’s keepers do an amazing job of looking after all the dogs, and we are happy to see this reflected in her health.”

Here at Perth Zoo, Akina and the pack enjoy plenty of enrichment, proper nutrition and importantly, a home free from poachers.

But life for their cousins in the wild is much tougher.

Every day, African Painted Dogs in the wild face human wildlife conflict and become victim to poaching snares and ongoing pressures from civilisation.

Perth Zoo has proudly partnered with Painted Dog Conservation Inc since 2007 with support from the Wildlife Conservation Action fund (WCA).

Since then, generous community members have helped give these special dogs a brighter future.

Generous donors to Perth Zoo’s WCA fund have helped support an anti-poaching patrol unit, provide snare removal assistance, and educate local children so the next generation can conserve this precious wildlife in the future.

And this year, Painted Dog Conservation Inc celebrates its 20th anniversary!

Since its inception, wild populations of dogs have increased from around just 2,500 individuals to now nearly 7,000!

This heartwarming increase in numbers shows that Painted Dog Conservation Inc’s invaluable work is making a true difference – but there’s still more to be done.

Here’s 3 simple ways YOU can help us help African Painted Dogs and other animals in the wild.

• Book an African Painted Dog encounter. 20% of every close encounter booked will support threatened animals in the wild!
• Make a donation to Perth Zoo today.
• Become a member at Perth Zoo.