An Indiana zoo is caring for three endangered African painted dog puppies—named Blue, Red, and Orange—born in September. Unlike their wild parents, these pups are being raised by a golden retriever named Kassy, who acted as a surrogate mother after the biological parents failed to care for them properly. African painted dogs are endangered due to habitat loss and human conflicts, and their pups usually rely on the entire pack for survival.
Though five of the original eight puppies didn’t survive, the three healthy pups are thriving under the zoo’s care. The zoo plans to help them learn natural behaviors near their family and possibly reintegrate them or transfer them to other accredited facilities in the future. This challenging but hopeful effort highlights the zoo’s commitment to preserving wild species.