London, Dec 14 (ANI): While it is believed that New Guinea Singing Dog has become extinct, a group of four canine pups have raised hopes that the ’song’ of these wild hounds may again be heard.

The four pups including three females, Kerema, Hagen, Sepik, and male Bismark, have been born to a dog, named Belle, who is 13 months old.

She arrived in from California’s San Diego Zoo nine months ago and settled in, the Rare Breeds Conservation Centre, near Sandwich, Kent where she was introduced to her mate, Kota, newly arrived from Sacramento Zoo, also in California.

Now 10 weeks old, the pups emerged from their ‘creche’ and gave an ‘X-Factor’ style audition - with feeble snuffling sounds.

According to keeper Adam Mitchell, mum Belle occasionally bursts into song, which he has even captured in his iPhone.

“Their singing wouldn’t win a human X-Factor audition. It’s more like a police siren,” the Daily Express quoted Mitchell as saying.

“In fact, that’s what prompts Belle to burst into song on very rare occasions - the sound of a police car chasing along the Sandwich bypass.

“The good news is that even the pups prick up their ears when they hear a police siren. Our hope is that one day they’ll learn to sing as a junior quartet with mum,” he added.

The New Guinea Singing Dogs (Canis lupus hallstromi) is related to the Australian dingo but has been isolated from other species for 6,000 years.

Native to the tropical forested mountains of Papua and New Guinea, they ’sang’ to call to each other across valleys. None has been seen in the wild since 1991, although explorers have claimed to have heard their call since. (ANI)