Thursday, March 24, 2011

Chinese dog adopts panther and wolf cubs

A dog at a Chinese zoo has adopted an unlikely pair of pups in their crucial first month of life.

The dog at a Beijing zoo started feeding a panther cub at just two days old, after its own mother was unable to produce enough milk. A wolf cub born five days later came to the dog after its mother suffered from the same problem.


YouTube link.

The dog who has just given birth to her own offspring has a busy job keeping her litter of hungry puppies fed, but it didn't take too long for her motherly instinct to kick in with her newfound pups.

Because dogs' bodies smell different to panthers it took a few days to get acquainted, but zoo keepers kept a close watch. The mother dog will continue to feed the offspring until they are one month old, her milk providing them with the nutrients needed by animals with meat diets, after which they will drink cow's milk before taking on a regular meat diet.

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