ASIATIC
WILD DOG - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Prey, habitat dictate
Asiatic wild dog-tiger coexistence, says study
What's
in the news?
●
Overlapping prey availability or habitat
suitability could dictate a positive association between dholes and tigers,
facilitating co-existence or even cooperative behaviours between the two
species of carnivores, a new study has found.
Key
takeaways:
●
The dhole or Asiatic wild dog (Cuon
alpinus) is the only endangered wild pack-living
canid in the tropical Indian forests and is considered at high risk of
extinction.
Asiatic
Wild Dog (Dhole):
●
It is a wild canid found in the forests of
central, south and southeast Asia.
Distribution:
●
They are found throughout Eastern and Southeastern Asia.
●
They can be seen as far north as Siberia,
as far south as some Malaysian islands and as far west as the Indian peninsula.
●
They are found in three clusters across
India, namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, the central Indian landscape and
North East India. The Western and Eastern Ghats is a stronghold region for
dholes.
Habitat:
●
Dholes are animals that inhabit dense
jungles, steppes, mountains, scrub forests and pine forests.
Features:
●
Dholes are highly social animals, and they frequently hunt in packs of 5 to 12. These
clans may grow to as many as 30 or 40 members.
Conservation
status:
●
IUCN Red List: Endangered
●
WPA 1972: Schedule II
●
CITES: Appendix II