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Dhole/Asiatic Wild Dog

Local name: 
Ajag
Scientific name: 

Cuon alpinus

Status: 
Endangered

Dhole

Distribution:
Dhole are found in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Russian Federation; Tajikistan; Thailand and Viet Nam. In Indonesia, they are found throughout most of Sumatra and in scattered parts of Java.
Population size:
There are thought to be approximately 2,500 remaining
Habitat:
Dhole occur in a wide variety of different habitat types including tropical and sub-tropical forests, scrub, savannah and alpine forests.
Diet:
The dhole is carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of different prey species such as rodents and birds but especially ungulates. Dhole will hunt cooperatively to catch large prey such as buffalo and banteng and have even been witnessed successfully killing a young elephant. Dhole will also occasionally scavenge from tiger and leopard kills.
Ecology:
Dhole are highly sociable and live in large groups. Dhole usually give birth to between 5 and 10 cubs. They are diurnal, helping to minimise competition with nocturnal predators such as tigers and leopards.
Threats:
Scarcity of suitable prey is a major threat to Dhole, especially in Indochina where it is noted as the most serious barrier to recovering dhole populations. Habitat loss and degradation is also a major problem, especially in Indonesia. Dhole are occasionally poisoned or hunted by humans and are often accidentally caught in traps set for other species throughout their range. Dhole are susceptible to diseases such as mange and rabies carried by domestic and feral dogs and this could be a threat to them in Indonesia
At Harapan Rainforest:
Dhole have been photographed on two occasions by our camera traps at Harapan Rainforest.
 
References:
Durbin, L.S., Hedges, S., Duckworth, J.W., Tyson, M., Lyenga, A. & Venkataraman, A. 2008. Cuon alpinus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 June 2009.
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhole - Accessed 25th june 2009