Dhole[1] Fossil range: Post Pleistocene[2]-Recent
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 2.3)[3]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Subfamily: Caninae Genus: Cuon Hodgson, 1838 Species: C. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The diverse order Carnivora (kɑrˈnɪvərə or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/ from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh" + vorāre The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia The Subfamily Caninae includes all living Canids and their closest fossil relatives such as the Sardinian Dhole. Brian Houghton Hodgson ( February 1, 1800 – May 23, 1894) was an early naturalist and Ethnologist working in British alpinus
Binomial name
Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811)
Dhole range

The Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog or Red Dog is a mammal of the order Carnivora, and the only member of the genus Cuon. Peter Simon Pallas ( September 22, 1741, Berlin — September 8, 1811, Berlin) was a German Zoologist Year 1811 ( MDCCCXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The diverse order Carnivora (kɑrˈnɪvərə or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/ from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh" + vorāre A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic

Physiology

Description

The Dhole bears many physical similarities to the African Wild Dog and the Bush Dog, most notably in the redundancy of the post-carnassial molars, though whether this is an example of convergence or close relationship is a matter of debate. The African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family found only in Africa, especially in scrub Savanna For the conservative Democratic group within the United States House of Representatives, see Blue Dog Coalition. Carnassials are large teeth found in many Carnivorous Mammals, used for shearing flesh and bone in a Scissor or Shear -like way Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages ^[2]

The Dhole typically weighs 12-20 kilograms (26-44 pounds)^[2] and measures 90 centimeters (35 inches) in body length and 50 centimeters (20 inches) shoulder height. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. ^[4] The tail measures 40-45 centimeters (16-18 inches) in length. ^[4] There is little sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. ^[2] The Dhole has a broad, domed skull and a short, broad muzzle. The bones of the forehead and upper jaw are "swollen", producing a dish-faced profile. The hooded eyes have amber or light brown irises, and the ears are large and rounded.

The pelage of the back and flanks is red to brown in colour, while the foreneck, chest and undersides are white or lightly gingered. In Mammals pelage is the Hair, Fur, or Wool that covers the Animal. ^[2] The fur of specimens from southern ranges is typically short and rusty red, while that of more northern subspecies is longer and more yellow or brown in colour. ^[2] Dholes from Thailand are more uniform brown, and lack the typical lighter throat and chest, while those from Himalayan regions have more yellowish fur. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj ^[2]

Dhole dentition is unique among canids, by the fact that it has one fewer lower molars, amounting to 40 teeth rather than the more usual 42 of other species. The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia Its lower carnassials also sport only one cusp (two is more usual for canids) an adaptation thought to improve shearing ability, thus allowing it to compete more successfully with kleptoparasites. Carnassials are large teeth found in many Carnivorous Mammals, used for shearing flesh and bone in a Scissor or Shear -like way Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally Parasitism by Theft) is a form of Feeding where one animal takes Prey from another ^[2] Its front pawpads are fused at the base. Females have 6-7 pairs of mammae, as opposed to the more usual five present in other canid species. Mammary glands are the organs that in Mammals produce Milk for the sustenance of the young ^[2] The chromosome number is 2n = 78. ^[2]

Reproduction

Sexual dimorphism is not very distinct with no quantitative anatomical differences known. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. Both males and females become sexually active at one year old, though females usually breed at 2 years in captivity, and in the wild, for the first time at 3 years, possibly due to physiological and behavioural restraints. Females exhibit seasonal polyoestrus, with a cycle of around 4-6 weeks. Pups are born throughout the end of fall, winter, and the first spring months ( November - March ) - dens are earthen burrows, or are constructed amongst rocks and boulder structures, in rocky caverns, or close to streambeds. In East Java, the Dhole is thought to mate mainly between January and May. East Java (Jawa Timur is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and also includes neighboring Madura Unlike some other canid species, the Dhole does not engage in a copulatory tie when mating. ^[5] Also, mating is not as restricted to certain individuals as it is in wolf packs, in which usually only the dominant pair can breed. ^[5]

After a gestation period of around 60-62 days, females usually give birth to about eight pups (though the range is 5-10, the record is 12, and sizes vary drastically within the same pack through different years), which weigh 200-350g. The gestation period in a Viviparous Animal is the length of its Gestation. Dhole growth rate is faster than that of wolves, being similair in length to that of the coyote. The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora ^[5] At 10 days their body weight has doubled, and body length is 340mm. Pups are weaned between 6 and 9 weeks. In captivity, weaning is sometimes recorded later on in the range. By 8 weeks, younglings are less quarrelsome and aggressive, and more vigilant. At three months litters go on hunts, though the pack may not be fully mobile until eight months. Young reach sexual maturity at about a year, and full adult size at 15 months.

After birth, a few other adults will help to feed the young of the dominant pair. The pups, as early as the age of three weeks, and the mother are fed regurgitated meat. When lone females breed, rearing the litters only results in limited success.

Diseases

Dholes are in danger of catching infectious diseases when they come in contact with other animals, especially canines – including feral and domestic dogs. They have been known to suffer from mange, canine distemper, and trypanosomiasis. Mange (from Middle English manjeue, from Old French manjue, from mangier, meaning to eat is a parasitic infestation of Canine distemper is a very serious viral Disease affecting animals in the families Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Hyaenidae Trypanosomiasis or trypanosomosis is the name of several diseases in Vertebrates caused by parasitic Protozoan Trypanosomes of the genus Canine parvovirus was recorded in Dhole populations in Hodenhagen, Germany and Chennai, India zoos. Canine parvovirus type 2 ( CPV2, colloquioally parvo) is a Contagious Virus mainly affecting Dogs. Sporadically, the Dhole is a health risk for human beings, since their excreta contain transmittable pathogens (e. g. Toxocara canis). Dhole waste has also been found to contain roundworm, cestodes, and other endoparasites. The nematodes or roundworms ( Phylum Nematoda from Greek (nema "thread" + -ode "like" are one of the most common Tapeworm is also an older name for a type of Computer virus. Cestoda is a class of Parasitic Flatworms commonly called Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. Like other canines, the Dhole can catch rabies; in the 1940s, rabid Dholes bit and infected villagers in the Biligirirangan Hills in India. Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that Location The hills are in the

Taxonomy

Evolution

The Dhole is an ice age survivor like the Gray Wolf. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora During the ice age, the Dhole ranged across Eurasia and North America. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. A canid called the Sardinian Dhole (Cynotherium sardous) lived on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia during the Pleistocene, but it is not as closely related to the living species as its name would imply. The Sardinian Dhole Cynotherium sardous was an endemic insular canid, that occurred on the Italian island of Sardinia Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period ^[6]

Subspecies

There are three recognized subspecies of the Dhole, although several others have been proposed and described, spanning different sizes and colors. ^[1]

• Cuon alpinus alpinus : includes populations adustus, antiquus, clamitans, dukhunensis, fumosus, grayiformis, infuscus, javanicus, laniger, lepturus, primaevus, rutilans
  • alpinus: found in Eastern Russia (east of eastern Sayans), including Amur, has a thick tawny-red coat with a grayish neck and an ochre muzzle
  • adustus: found in Northern Myanmar and Indo-China, has a reddish-brown coat
  • dukhunensis: found South of the Ganges in India, has a red coat, short hair on the paws, and black whiskers
  • fumosus: found in Western Szechuan, China, and Mongolia, has a luxuriant yellowish-red coat with a dark back and gray neck
  • infuscus: found in Southern Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam has a dark brown coat and distinctive cranial features
  • javanicus: found in Java, has a short, bright red coat, though there are regional variations
  • laniger: found in Kashmir and Southern Tibet, has a full yellow-gray coat
  • lepturus: found South of the Yangze in China, has a uniform red coat with thick under-fur
  • primaevus: found in Himalayan regions of Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan, has a longer, redder coat than dukhunensis, and has long hair on the paws
• sumatrensis: found in Sumatra, has a short, bright red coat and dark whiskers
• hesperius: found in Eastern Turkestan, Southern Siberia and Western China (Altai and Tienshan), has a long, bright yellow coat with a white underside and pale whiskers

Range and habitat

The Dhole originates from South Asia. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. The Tian Shan (天山 Pinyin: Tiān Shān "celestial mountains" also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a Mountain range located in Central Its range is latitude: 10° South to 55° North; Longitude: 70° East to 170° East. Its historical range extended from India to China, and down to Malaysia and Indonesia, with Java as the Southern limit. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. In recent decades, there has been huge habitat loss in this region, and restricted surveys indicate serious decline and fragmentation of the former range. The Dhole's current range extends from the borders of Russia and the Altai Mountains in Manchuria (Central and Eastern Asia) to Northern and Western Pakistan to the forest tracts of India, Burma, and the Malayan Archipelago. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The best remaining populations are probably to be found in Central (especially in the Highlands), Western and Northern Pakistan and Southern India.

The Dhole exploits a large variety of habitats. It normally inhabits dry and moist deciduous forests and thick jungles, as well as tropical rain forests, which all provide better cover for hunting. It inhabits areas of primary, secondary, degraded, evergreen, and semi-evergreen forms of vegetation, and dry thorn forests, as well as scrub-forest mosaics. It can also, however, survive in dense alpine forests, meadows and on the open steppes of Kashmir and Manchuria. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast As the second part of its Latin name, alpinus, suggests, the Dhole is often found in hilly or mountainous regions. The Dhole likes open spaces and during the day they can often be found on jungle roads and paths, river beds, and in jungle clearings. The Dhole inhabits in the widest range of climates in the canid family – from freezing cold to tropical heat, but is not recorded in deserts.

Factors which influence habitat include water, the presence of other large predators (competition), sufficient prey (plentiful medium to large ungulate prey species), local human population, and suitable breeding sites.

Behaviour

Social behavior

The Dhole is a highly social and co-operative animal, like the Gray Wolf, the Amazonian Bush Dog, and the African Hunting Dog. For the conservative Democratic group within the United States House of Representatives, see Blue Dog Coalition. The African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family found only in Africa, especially in scrub Savanna Generally it lives in organized, extended-family packs of five to twelve individuals (this number rarely exceeds twenty five), with more males, sometimes twice as many more, than females, and usually just one breeding female. Sometimes pack members interact with other Dholes outside of their own group; these interactions may be positive or hostile (home ranges are often quite separate). Environmental conditions can affect group size and composition. Many animals including humans tend to live in groups Herds flocks, bands packs, parties or colonies (hereafter groups of conspecific individuals Large packs of over forty Dholes have been sighted, possibly resulting from the temporary fusion of neighboring packs. Older Dholes of around 7-8 years sometimes vanish from the group.

Within Dhole packs, there is almost never any aggression – there is a strict social hierarchy, so fighting is not needed - or bullying, save for play-fighting among cubs. Each pack contains a dominant monogamous pair, who are usually the sole breeders. However, junior males may display sexual interest in the dominant female, and sometimes father cubs. Pack members play together regularly, allow grooming, mock-fighting, and rolling around. Social rank is reinforced by shoving and holding, rarely by biting. Dispersal is female-biased.

Within a group, members over-mark each other's waste, creating individual latrines in the home range. These latrines serve intra-group communication, for example, passing on information concerning sexual status. Video footage has been taken of a Dhole urinating while balancing only on the two front paws.

The Dhole is fond of water. It has been spotted sitting in shallow pools of water regardless of the temperature. Like domestic dogs, the Dhole wags its tail. The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order The Dhole can also leap to at least 2. 3 meters (7. 5 feet).

Vocalizations

The Dhole has some extraordinary vocal calls. It can make high-pitched screams, mew, hiss, squeak, yelp, chatter, and cluck like a chicken. Growl-barks and other noises alert pack-mates to danger; the large range of calls like these may have evolved to warn companions of different dangers - human, tiger, etc. Calls also act as threats to scare off enemies. Its best-known sound is its strange whistle, likened by early naturalists to the sound obtained when air is blown over an empty cartridge. These calls are used for contact within the pack. The repetitive whistles are so distinct that individual Dholes can be identified by it, and the source is easily located. Whistles travel well at ground level due to their frequency and structure.

Dietary habits

The Dhole is primarily a diurnal hunter, though it is not uncommon for it to hunt by night too. ^[7] Solitary Dholes usually limit themselves to small prey such as Chital fawns and Indian Hares, while a pair or trio of Dholes suffices to kill medium sized ungulates such as deer in 2 minutes. The chital or cheetal ( Axis axis) also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a Deer which commonly inhabits The Indian Hare ( Lepus nigricollis) also known as the Black-naped Hare, is a common species of Hare found in South Asia. ^[7] There is at least one account of a Dhole pack managing to pull down an Indian Elephant calf, despite ferocious defence from the mother resulting in multiple Dhole deaths. The Indian Elephant, Elephas maximus indicus, is one of four Subspecies of the Asian Elephant, the largest population of which is found in India ^[8] The Dhole manages to avoid competition with the Leopard and the Tiger by targetting smaller prey and hunting in daylight, unlike the nocturnal felids. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus ^[5] The Dhole hunts by scent. It kills large prey in a manner similar to the African Wild Dog, disemboweling and eating the prey whilst it is still alive. ^[7] The Dhole can eat up to 4 kilograms (8. 8 pounds) of meat in an hour, and will compete with one another over a kill through speed of eating rather than fighting. ^[7] It typically consumes the heart, liver, eyeballs, rump and fetus first. ^[7] The Dhole drinks frequently after eating, and will actively search for a water source once it has eaten sufficiently. ^[7] Seasonal scarcity of food is not as much an issue to the Dhole as it is to wolves, so there is less of a rigid dominance hierarchy during feeding. ^[5] Unlike some canids, the Dhole does not cache its food. In Computer science, a cache (kæʃ like "cash") is a collection of data duplicating original Though the majority of its food is obtained by hunting, it will occasionally scavenge from Leopard and Tiger kills. ^[7] The Dhole has on occasion been observed hunting with pariah dogs. The term pariah dog is used to refer to feral dogs of a particular type, a subspecies of dog, and a purebred dog category or group ^[5]

Population pressures

Sleeping Dhole, taken at the Toronto Zoo. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario

It is estimated that 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild (mainly in wildlife sanctuaries and protected national parks) and the declining population trend is expected to continue.

One major threat to the Dhole is habitat destruction (and thus loss of prey which is aggravated by deer poaching). In India alone, over 40,000 square kilometers of forest has disappeared in the last 20 years. Also, in Vietnam, few natural forested areas over 50 square kilometers remain. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The main factors in this were logging, firewood collection, flooding due to dam construction and agricultural expansion. Habitat deterioration fragments the Dhole population resulting in problems like disease (it is unclear whether this is a significant problem in Indo-China and Indonesia but definitely depletes the population in South Asia) and inbreeding, which have more permanent effects. Dhole habitat is also being transformed like in Sumatra. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two

Human persecution also contributes to the Dhole's decline (medicinal uses of the Dhole in areas such as China should be looked into). Indiscriminate snaring ("by-catch") and other non-selective hunting techniques have devastating results. The Dhole is regarded as vermin – on rare occasions, Dholes attack livestock at the cost of the owner, e. g. in Arunachal Pradesh - and has therefore been shot, trapped and poisoned (e. Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश   Aruṇācal Pradeś is the easternmost state of India g. from strychnine). Strychnine (ˈstrɪkniːn (British US /-naɪn/ or /-nɪn/ (US British colonial hunters also shot and poisoned Dhole-killed prey-carcasses because the canine was seen as a threat to local wild ungulate densities. Ungulates (meaning roughly "being Hoofed quot or "hoofed animal" are several groups of Mammals most of which use the tips of their toes usually

However, prejudice towards the Dhole still exists. Levels of persecution vary regionally depending on cultural principles, wildlife law enforcement and the intensity of livestock predation. Levels of persecution in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia are especially high. Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Upset farmers have been known to club pups to death at den sites (breeding and pup-rearing is sometimes inadvertently disrupted too).

Hunting and trapping for fur is not recorded as a significant contributor to the Dhole's decline perhaps because it is not numerous. In the 19th century, Dhole-fur was valuable in Ussuryisk Krai, and moving into the 20th century they were pricey in Manchuria. Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Now-a-days, the odd Dhole-skin is recorded as a curio. Currently, there is no known widespread exploitation of the pelts. Dhole mortalities as a result of road-kill are highest in India where many roads and trails cut through its habitat.

With suitable areas steadily diminishing and cattle being grazed within the forests, livestock occasionally fall prey to the Dhole. If protection is not rigidly enforced, stockmen retaliate by excavating the den and clubbing the pups to death. Generally, Dholes ignore domestic animals, but when its natural prey is diminished, it is led to starving. In India, farmers get compensated if there is definitive proof that their livestock has been killed by Dholes outside core protected areas.

The Dhole also sometimes preys on threatened species. For example, the Banteng numbers in Alas Purwo National Park (Java) were decreasing drastically due to Dhole predation. The Banteng, Bos javanicus is an Ox that is found in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo Alas Purwo National Park is situated on Blambangan Peninsula in Banyuwangi regency at the southeastern tip of East Java. In the end, the Dhole population fell when Banteng were not numerous enough to support them. In Kanha, India, the Dhole preys on a rare, endemic subspecies of the Barasingha . Kanha or Kanhapad was one of the Poets of Charjapad, the earliest known example of Bangla literature. The Barasingha or Barasinga ( Rucervus duvaucelii) is a Species of Deer, native to India and Nepal. Of course, it is primarily habitat loss that has pushed both these predators and prey towards endangerment and possible extinction.

Depletion of the Dhole's prey animal populations is another problem. In much of the Dhole's habitat, even in protected areas, ungulate populations are low. In Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, many species larger in size than a hare have been reduced significantly because of hunting. Muntjacs and southern serow are some of the few species that haven’t been severely affected. The serows are six Species of small Goat -like or Antilope -like mammals of the genus Capricornis. Prey numbers in Indonesia are also low. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

Further pressures are applied by local villagers who steal the Dhole's kills for their own pot as Dholes do not attack humans and retreat at the sight of one. In this way, the Dhole has become an indirect food source for the people of the jungle. People who have been recorded scavenging Dhole-kills include Kuruma tribes of the Nilgiris in the south of India and at least one Mon Khmer-speaking tribe (Laos). Kurubas or Kurumas are Hindus concentrated mainly in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, India. The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous Language family of Southeast Asia. Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma In other regions such as Russia, poisons set out for wolves may be responsible for declines in the local Dhole population.

Conservation

In India, bounties were paid for carcasses right up until when the Dhole was declared a Protected Species under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act of 1972 which prohibits the killing of wildlife except in self-defense; or if the Dhole is a man-killer – and, even then, permission is required. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons, abbreviated SUSDP, is a document used in the regulation of drugs and poisons in Australia. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. Hunting of the Dhole in the Soviet Union had been prohibited since 1971; it received the status of ‘protected animal’ in 1974.

In Vietnam, the Dhole is protected to a certain degree which limits extraction and utilization though levels of extraction and utilization are not quoted. In Cambodia, the Dhole is protected from hunting. A new forestry law is under preparation and a proposal to list the Dhole as a fully protected species is being discussed, although there appears to be no date set for its ratification. Also, large protected areas have been declared in Laos. The creation of Project Tiger Reserves has given some protection to the “dukhenesis” population. Project Tiger could potentially maintain Dhole prey-animal levels in Tiger-Dhole inhabited regions. Project Tiger is a Wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers It was launched on April 1

There are about 110 dholes in captivity (including in Dresden, Beijing, Winnipeg, and Howletts), with an even ratio of males to females. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Howletts Wild Animal Park (formerly known as Howletts Zoo) was set up as a private Zoo in 1957 by John Aspinall near Canterbury, Kent There are no current research programs investigating dholes. There have been no attempts to reintroduce the Dhole yet.

Fictional appearances

An award-winning Indian film called Wild Dog Diaries, photographed by the duo Krupakar-Senani portrays the behaviour of a pack of Dholes. Wild Dog Diaries is a wild life film portraying the behaviour of wild dogs ( Cuon alpinus) Krupakar-Senani are wildlife photographers belonging to the state of Karnataka, India.

Dholes appear in Rudyard Kipling's 1895 children's story "Red Dog" (originally published as "Good Hunting", subsequently included in The Second Jungle Book) as a threat to Mowgli's wolf pack, appearing somewhat more aggressive in the story than in real life. Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year "Red Dog" is a Mowgli story by Rudyard Kipling. Written at Kipling's home in Brattleboro Vermont between February and March 1895 The Second Jungle Book is a sequel to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Mowgli (ˈmaʊɡli is a fictional character who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling 's Short story "In the Rukh" (collected in Many Inventions The story was later adapted in Jungle Cubs with the Dholes being rather foolish and greedy. Jungle Cubs was an Animated series produced by Disney for ABC in 1996.

In an episode called "Alpha" in season six of The X-Files, a cryptid Dhole from China is blamed for multiple killings. The X-Files is a Peabody, Golden Globe and Emmy Award -winning American Science fiction television series created by Chris Carter Cryptid is a term used in the study of Cryptozoology to refer to a creature whose existence has been suggested but not demonstrated scientifically

Cited references

• Dhole Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811) Endangered – EN: C2a(i) (2004) L. S. Durbin, A. Venkataraman, S. Hedges and W. Duckwort in [1]

External links

• Dhole Home Page
• Dhole facts and pictures
• mapping the dhole in south east asia
• ARKive - images and movies of the dhole