Zoo's bush dog puppies named by visitors

Dudley Zoo said its first litter of bush dog puppies, which are native to South America, had been a hit with visitors

A zoo has allowed visitors to choose names for four bush dog puppies, after welcoming its first litter of the animals earlier this year.

Dudley Zoo originally asked visitors to suggest a name for one puppy, but keepers were so impressed with the response that they extended this to the whole litter.

The four puppies have now been named Diego, Pablo, Bruno and Carlos.

Bush dogs are native to South America and conservation groups have raised concerns in recent years that they are threatened by habitat loss.

The four puppies, Diego, Pablo, Bruno and Carlos, stayed in their dens for their first weeks before starting to venture out

The litter’s parents, Twenké and Dora, were paired up as part of an international breeding programme and the puppies were born in late August.

Dudley Zoo announced the puppies' arrival in October, when they started to venture out after remaining in their dens for their first weeks.

The zoo said the bush dog litter was the first in its 87-year history and the puppies had been very popular with visitors.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park also welcomed a litter of bush dog puppies over the summer and announced the news in October, hailing the births as a "conservation landmark".