Dublin Zoo has announced the birth of seven African painted dogs.
The pups were born five weeks ago in a deep burrow that their mother, Zuri, excavated.
It wasn’t until the new-borns opened their eyes, three weeks after the birth, that their mother brought them to the surface for the animal care team to see.
Helen Clarke, a team leader at the zoo, said the pack is settling in well, looking comfortable in their new surroundings at the zoo’s “African plains”.
“African painted dogs are an endangered species, so the arrival of seven pups to Dublin Zoo is of great significance to us,” she added.
The birth of the pups takes Dublin Zoo’s African dog population to eleven.
Also known as the African wild dog, or African hunting dog, the species is easily identifiable due to its uniquely patterned coat.
It is estimated that there are approximately only 6,000 left in the wild, due to a loss of living spaces and human retaliation. They are often blamed by farmers for leopard and hyena attacks on livestock.