09/02/2026
It is with great sadness that Zoo Miami announces the passing of “Little Foot,” an endangered African painted dog that had won the hearts of all who had the privilege of working with her and the countless visitors who have had the joy of seeing her at Zoo Miami for nearly a decade.
On August 19th, Little Foot was transported to the Animal Hospital at Zoo Miami after experiencing a sudden loss of weight and the development of a large mass above her shoulder. The Animal Health Team performed a series of tests that included radiographs and laboratory examinations of tissue and fluids.
Sadly, it was determined that Little Foot was suffering from a rapidly advancing cancer that was diagnosed as terminal. The Animal Health and Animal Science teams discussed the animal’s condition in combination with her age, and it was decided that surgery was not an option. The very difficult decision was then made to humanely euthanize her.
This was extremely painful for the staff who had worked with Little Foot since her arrival in 2017 from the Audubon Zoo, where she was born. She became a first-time mother in 2019 when she gave birth to a litter of 5 puppies. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that Zoo Miami had experienced the birth of this highly endangered species. She proved to be an excellent mother and had a second litter of 3 puppies the following year.
With less than 6,000 individuals left in the wild, the African painted dog is one of the most endangered carnivores on the continent. Found in isolated pockets of Eastern and Southern Africa, they occur in packs that can range from 6 to over 20 individuals. They are cooperative hunters that experience one of the highest success rates of any of the major carnivores. Only the alpha pair reproduce within the pack, and the female can have as many as 20 puppies which are all raised cooperatively by the other pack members.
Though she is no longer physically with us, Little Foot has left a powerful legacy. She will be terribly missed but will live on through her offspring that serve as an insurance policy against a very uncertain future in the wild for this highly endangered species.
📷 Ron Magill
