Dholes (Asiatic Wild Dogs)

In News

• A new study has reported the presence of dholes or Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) in the high mountains of Central Asia nearly 30 years after their presence was last recorded.

About

• Historically, dholes purportedly occurred throughout southern Russia, all across central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. 
• Recent research and current distribution maps indicate that they are restricted to the south and southeast Asia, with the northernmost populations in China

Reasons for the disappearance

• Dholes require more land for sustainable populations than other Asian mammals due to their complex social structure and dietary requirements.
• Habitat fragmentation and human activity may have contributed significantly to their decades-long disappearances from the aforementioned countries (Central Asian mainly)

Dholes (Asiatic Wild Dogs)

• It is also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog, the Red Dog, Whistling dog and Mountain wolf. It plays an important role as an apex predator in forest ecosystems.
• It is in the endangered category (EN) and is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in India.
• Besides the tiger, the dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ‘endangered’ category.
• High populations of Dholes are found in the Western Ghats and central Indian forests. 

Source: DTE