Distant relatives of the wolf and the domestic dog, African painted dogs live in highly cooperative groups called packs.

by Rick LoBello

Every chance I get I stop and take a look at our pack of painted dogs in the Africa area of the Zoo. We have 4 brothers, all born at the Oklahoma City Zoo on April 30, 2017 – Chip Jr., Black Heart, Moon Pie and Notch. Known for their striking coat patterns that are unique to each individual, they have an incredible social structure. If there is any animal at the Zoo that has a reputation in the wild for cooperative hunting strategies and teamwork, painted dogs are truly remarkable. They are known for their strong bonds within the pack and their high level of empathy and communication.

Painted dogs (also called African painted dogs) are endangered with fewer than 7,000 left in the wild. They face threats from habitat loss, human conflict (retaliation for livestock predation), disease (like rabies/distemper) and vehicle collisions. When I was on safari years ago in southwestern Kenya visiting the Maasai Mara National Game Reserve, painted dogs were rarely found. Today their numbers are increasing, and they are being seen more frequently. Programs like the Mara Predator Conservation Program are actively working to monitor and protect them, even identifying denning packs and addressing human-wildlife conflict.  Like predators everywhere, they play an important role in helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem by removing old, injured or sick prey. This leaves more food for the survival and success of healthy prey animals. Predators also help to slow down the spread of disease.  

In 2019 I attended a “Zoos Committed to Conservation” conference in Jacksonville, Florida hosted by Jacksonville Zoo. At that meeting I met Dr. Greg Rasmussen of the Painted Dog Research Trust, who has been researching Africa’s unique and endangered carnivore exclusively since 1989. He visited the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens in 2021 and 2023 and spoke to staff and at a public presentation about his conservation efforts.                     

This year the Painted Dog Research Trust is requesting funds from the Zoo Conservation Committee in support of conducting research on painted dogs and by engaging communities through field and skills training as well as the establishment of income-generating projects. Furthermore, the Trust is investing in the future of conservation through an extensive weekend education program, which funds 40 children monthly to attend our three-day Mashambo Bush Camp. The focal study area of 6500 km² is an integral part of the five-country Kavango Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area.

The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens Conservation Committee meets throughout the year to discuss field conservation projects that we want to support around the world.   Up until recently all Conservation Committee funding has come from donations received from the Service Systems and Associates Round Up Fund. These are the donations that guests contribute when they are asked to “round-up for conservation” with each purchase made in the Zoo for food, beverages and merchandise. Thanks to the Paso del Norte Foundation anyone can now contribute to this fund online in support of key conservation initiatives like the Painted Dog Trust. 

Photos
Cover Scott Ableman
Feature – Tambako The Jaguar, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Top – Art G., Wikimedia Creative Commons