Seven-week-old African painted dog pups have started making appearances in their public habitat at the Saint Louis Zoo. The family has been bonding in a private maternity den behind the scenes since the pups' births on Dec. 26, 2025. The pups are still adjusting to the sights and sounds of their River’s Edge habitat. They will continue making brief and irregular appearances as the family transitions out of their private maternity den.
Mopani (mow-pah-nee) and her three brothers, Kambala (kaem-bah-lah), Karroo and Teak are named after tree species that grow in the habitats where painted dogs are found in the wild.
Learn more about the pups and their parents, and see photo and video at stlzoo.org/painteddogs.