DUBLIN Zoo has officially announced the arrival of a new exciting species for animal lovers.
In a first for Ireland, the zoo revealed that five male ‘dholes’ will now call Dublin their home.
It is the first time in the zoo’s history that it has greeted the animals.
The dholes came to Dublin Zoo from Tierpark in Berlin and are settling into their new habitat at the Asian Forests very well indeed.
The pack consists of a pair of six-year-old brothers, a pair of three-year-old brothers and a five-year-old half-brother.
Also known as the Asiatic wild dogs, dholes were once widespread throughout Central, South and Southeast Asia but now scattered populations live in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.
It is estimated that there are between 4,500 and 10,000 dholes left in the wild.
Dholes are classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. This classification is mainly due to habitat loss, depletion of prey and disease transfer from domestic dogs.
Speaking on the announcement, Ciaran McMahon, Team Leader at Dublin Zoo said they are “delighted” to welcome the pack.
“It’s the first time we’ve had this species at the Zoo so it’s an exciting time for all the team,” he said.
The dholes can be viewed by visitors in the Asian Forests section of Dublin Zoo.