According to a study, published in the South African Journal of Wildlife Research, packs of African wild dogs showed a willingness to take in the orphaned pups, no questions asked.In three different cases, a total of eleven orphaned African wild dog pups were released within view of a smaller than average wild pack. Each time, the pups were soon approached by the dominant female of that pack, and within minutes, the orphaned pups were adopted cared for and fed by the dominant female. In one case, the pups got scared and ran away from the pack, almost immediately. Yet even after such a brief introduction, the adoptive pack then began to scour the area to find the missing pups. Once reunited, the pups were greeted as if they were missing family members.
This study provides conservationists with a better understanding as to how they can use facilitated adoptions as a conservation tool in the wild.
via Oh, for the love of science!
