Have you ever heard of the Dhole? This fascinating species of canid, also known by many other names like the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian wild dog, red dog, whistling dog and so on, is native to South and Southeast Asia. The term ‘dhole’ is reported to have an ancient Asiatic origin signifying “recklessness and daring”. In India, it is found in the forested regions of the central, eastern, and southern parts of the country. Unfortunately, the Dhole is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and its population is rapidly declining due to a variety of threats.
The only other carnivore in the IUCN’s endangered category, besides Dhole is the tiger. Despite this fact, proper research and study of their lifestyle and conservation status has begun quite recently. Various misconceptions give them a bad reputation—like their image of vicious hunters, eating their prey while it is still alive, etc. In this blog post, let’s take a closer look at the Dhole, the challenges it faces, and what we can do to conserve this magnificent species.
Dhole Conservation in India: Saving the Asiatic Wild Dog
The only other carnivore in the IUCN’s endangered category, besides Dhole is the tiger. Despite this fact, proper research and study of their lifestyle and conservation status has begun quite recently. Various misconceptions give them a bad reputation—like their image of vicious hunters, eating their prey while it is still alive, etc. In this blog post, let’s take a closer look at the Dhole, the challenges it faces, and what we can do to conserve this magnificent species.
Dhole Conservation in India: Saving the Asiatic Wild Dog