Happy Birthday Bulu and Penda!

It was party time at Monarto Safari Park today as African Painted Dog sisters, Bulu and Penda, celebrated their sixth birthday.

The birthday girls were treated to some special enrichment to celebrate their big day, including birthday boxes filled with a variety of red meats, streamers and some hand-crafted paper lanterns.

Keeper Alice Hardstaff said the pack was very excited when they saw the tasty treats.

“The girls love playing with each other and having fun,” she said.

“This playful behaviour is all part of the necessary social bonding that keeps the pack such a powerful unit.”

The sisters were born at Monarto Safari Park in 2016 to mum, Kibi, and dad, Jengo.

In April last year, Bulu welcomed pups of her own, with Ajani, Masikio, Liyana, Amani, and Sanaa now part of the Monarto Safari Park pack.

Best known for their famously large, round ears and multi-coloured coat, African Painted Dogs are very social and have a rich, cooperative pack life led by a dominant pair.

They are one of Africa’s most successful predators; hunting in large packs that pursue their prey in a long, open chases, which can reach speeds of up to 66km per hour!

African Painted Dogs are considered to be among Africa’s most endangered species. With numbers once over 500,000, today there are less than 7,000 remaining in the wild.

Their decline has been impacted by human interference, including poaching, road kills, the spread of domestic dog disease and habitat fragmentation.

By visiting Monarto Safari Park you are helping Zoos SA continue their vital conservation work and saving endangered species like the African Painted Dog from extinction.

Come along and visit the playful pack on our Zu-loop bus!

Visitors aged 16 and older must show evidence of double COVID-19 vaccination (or approved exemption) to enter Monarto Safari Park, please book in advance at www.monartosafari.com.au/tickets.