Brookfield Zoo debuts litter of 10 African painted dog puppies

A litter of 10 African painted dog pups are now calling Brookfield Zoo home.

The litter is made up of five female and five male painted dogs. They were born on Nov. 25 to first-time mom Roanne, who was also born at the West suburban zoo six years ago.

Racquel Ardisana-Penney is the associate director of carnivore and small mammal care and conservation at the zoo. She helped the new puppies reach their desired milestones like nutrition and vaccinations before incorporating them with their extended family.

“We’re excited for our guests to finally see them,” Ardisana-Penney said. “It’s very exciting for us to get to see them explore the outside world. They are going to be seeing a whole bunch of new things and getting a whole bunch of new experiences.”

The new African painted dog pups, including mom Roanne and dad Kellan, tentatively explored their new home inside the Habitat Africa! The Savannah outdoor habitat for the first time on Tuesday.

Though initially timid, the pups followed their parents’ lead into their habitat, with some pups showing more boldness and practicing their high-pitched, bird-like vocalizations known as twittering.

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