Dhole-ing Out The Charm
You might be wondering why I have this fancy-looking dog as a non-charismatic species, but the real question is, have you ever heard of a dhole? Exactly. Let’s whistle while we read on (you’ll get that reference in a bit). Also, it’s red, cute, and it’s Valentine’s Day, so why not?
What is it? Dholes are one of the oldest species in the Canid family. They are more closely related to African wild dogs and jackals than to wolves or the Boston terrier that is currently staring at me. So, they’re a “ye olde doggo.”
Where does it live? Dholes once had a huge range, found from India to Russia, along the coast of China, and down into Indonesia—a massive territory. Now, dholes are only found in 25% of that range. They live in patches in India, around the Himalayas, Myanmar, and parts of Indonesia… don’t worry, there’s a map below. They prefer forests without other big predators (like tigers).
What do they eat? Meat! Technically, they’re omnivores, with around 70% of their diet being meat. They hunt a variety of deer, boar, and bovines (cows) and are able to take down larger prey because they hunt with their pack. You have to love when a family shares a hobby. What’s really fun is that the pack has a “pep rally” before the hunt, where they play and jump around.
What is the dhole family like? Like some other canids, a dhole pack is usually just a family group of around 2-15 adults. Like many families today (including my own), the kids often stay at home with their parents. Some offspring do go off to join other packs or find new territory. There are even instances where smaller, related packs will periodically come together to form a clan. What’s really nifty is that the alpha male is in charge of all the males, and the reverse is true for the alpha female.
Do dholes have superpowers? They have at least 2.5 superpowers. The best one is their whistling. Dholes are extremely communicative and can make a wide variety of sounds, from squeaks, barks, and screams to other chatter. Those sounds are great for close communication, but when coordinating over long distances, they whistle. These whistles are often used to coordinate hunts, and it’s extremely cool. There’s a video below where you can hear one whistle (yes, I took it off TikTok, don’t judge me). The second superpower is less exciting but fascinating… dholes are, in essence, potty trained. In the wild, a pack has a designated bathroom spot, called a latrine, that they all use. Latrines are useful tools for marking territory boundaries. Potty power! The half superpower is that allegedly, dholes are able to tree tigers. I think that’s worth at least a 0.5.
How many are there? You may be a bit surprised to hear that dholes aren’t doing too well. They are listed as endangered, with an estimated 2,500 adults remaining in the wild. On top of their declining numbers, they are the least studied of the carnivores.
Historic and current range of Dholes
Ok, here’s the science part….we’ll all get through it.
Dholes, Cuon alpinus
With an estimated 2,500 adults in the wild, and around 300 in zoological settings, Dholes have been listed as endangered by the IUCN Redlist.
Threats for dholes include extreme loss of habitat, diseases from domestic dogs, other big predators (tigers, leopards, etc.), human conflict, and a very bad reputation.
Image from IUCN Redlist
Click to learn more about Dholes
Resources:
Dhole Conservation Fund (2023) https://www.dhole.org
Kamler, J.F., Songsasen, N., Jenks, K., Srivathsa, A., Sheng, L. & Kunkel, K. 2015. Cuon alpinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T5953A72477893. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T5953A72477893.en.
Photo Credit: Dhole Conservation Fund
