Bronx Zoo debuts pack of endangered Asian wild dogs in new exhibit
BRONX ZOO, Bronx (WABC) -- A pack of endangered wild dogs has been welcomed to their new home at the Bronx Zoo.
The zoo's latest residents, called dholes (dohlz), are native to southern and central Asia.
The three brothers, Roan, Apollo, and Kito, were born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2016 before making the move to New York City.
Dholes are foxlike animals, with brownish-red coats and dark, bushy tails. They are mainly found in forests and grasslands in several Asian countries including China, India, and Malaysia.
The Bronx Zoo's trio of dholes are housed in the newly renovated polar bear exhibit. Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo, said that the zoo decided to revamp the polar bear exhibit because of the opportunity to teach guests about an endangered species. The zoo also hopes to start a dhole breeding program.
In the wild, dhole numbers have dwindled because of human involvement including land development, hunting, and domestic dogs that pass diseases to them. It is estimated there are fewer than 2,500 in the wild.
The new dholes can be found in their habitat next to the Himalayan Highlands. Exhibit times are said to vary while they adjust to their new home.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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