Whipsnade Zoo welcomes three African wild dogs in breeding bid

Elvis and Earl are two of the new arrivals

Three African wild dogs have joined a pack at Whipsnade Zoo in a bid to breed the endangered species.

The three males, named Earl, Elvis and Einstein, arrived at the zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, from West Midlands Safari Park on 1 February.

Staff hope the males will bond with sisters Beebee and Ginger and form a new pack.

Zookeeper Sarah McGregor said the two that "become the alpha male and female will be the only ones to have pups".

"The other dogs will have a different but no less important role; caring for the pups and providing support when they're born," she said.

"We're all keeping our fingers crossed it won't be long.

"Earl, Elvis and Einstein have been settling in well and it's clear they all have very distinct personalities.

"Einstein has already bonded with Beebee, Earl is at his happiest exploring, and has been intrigued by all the new sights and smells, while Elvis is quiet and gentle and loves to laze around in the spring sunshine."

Sister Beebe and Ginger are pictured with Einstein (lying down)

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are classified as endangered in the wild, where they are threatened by climate change, disease, habitat loss and human/wildlife conflict, the zoo said.

There are fewer than 700 African wild dog packs left in the wild, according to zoo company ZSL.

The dogs all have distinctive markings

"In the wild, African wild dogs might have to travel more than 1,000km in the wild to find a mate with different genes to theirs," Ms McGregor said.

"Elvis, Earl and Einstein's arrival means we will have a similarly healthy and genetically diverse pack at Whipsnade - vital to our work protecting the species.

"Meanwhile, ZSL conservationists are working from Senegal to South Africa to help bring the wild dog population back from the brink by vaccinating domestic dogs in Africa against rabies and ensuring the healthy co-existence of African wild dogs and people."