A Bush Dog! Who Knew?

I never even knew this animal existed until seeing one in a zoo in St. Maarten (in the Caribbean)!

Unfortunately, the zoo was a sad place for the animals there, and this poor Bush Dog was all alone in his enclosure, aimlessly pacing round and round.

But, I was fascinated to learn that this is indeed a type of wild canid living in Central and South America. The Bush Dog is believed to be related to the Maned Wolf of Central and South America or the Wild African Dog.

I later learned that the bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canid found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana, and Peru. The species was first identified by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves and was believed to be extinct. The bush dog is the only living species in the genus Speothos.

Unfortunately the species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

I enjoyed learned about and seeing this amazing creature, I just wish he had a companion and was in a much nicer habitat than this zoo.