A litter of wild hunting dogs whose mother died shortly after giving birth are doing well almost a year on.

Six pups survived an emergency caesarean performed at Port Lympne wild animal park, near Hythe, although their mum Tunis died six hours later from a chest infection.

The pups received round the clock care from keepers at the park and are now healthy and enjoying life.

They featured on the BBC television programme Roar, which is filmed at the park, when they were first born and again last week.

Richard Barnes, head of the park’s carnivore section said: “Normally, in the wild and with the loss of the mother, the rest of the pack would not have been able to raise the puppies. Almost a year since their birth it’s good to see that they are thriving. The BBC Roar film crew followed their story from birth and it’s amazing when you look back at how much they have grown.”

Port Lympne has been home to hunting dogs, an endangered species, since the early 1970s.

As well as the six pups it houses 14 adult hunting dogs and three males at Howletts near Canterbury.