Dhole Conservation in India: Saving the Asiatic Wild Dog

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Have you ever heard of the Dhole? This fascinating species of canid, also known by many other names like the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian wild dog, red dog, whistling dog and so on, is native to South and Southeast Asia. The term ‘dhole’ is reported to have an ancient Asiatic origin signifying “recklessness and daring”. In India, it is found in the forested regions of the central, eastern, and southern parts of the country. Unfortunately, the Dhole is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and its population is rapidly declining due to a variety of threats.

The only other carnivore in the IUCN’s endangered category, besides Dhole is the tiger. Despite this fact, proper research and study of their lifestyle and conservation status has begun quite recently. Various misconceptions give them a bad reputation—like their image of vicious hunters, eating their prey while it is still alive, etc. In this blog post, let’s take a closer look at the Dhole, the challenges it faces, and what we can do to conserve this magnificent species.

Dhole
Photo credits: Rohit Varma (Wikipedia)

The Dhole: A Unique Canid

Dholes are group-living canids. The pack hunts cooperatively and maintains communication within dense forests by “whistling.” Hence the name “whistling hunter” or whistling dog. A single pack can range in size from 5 to 12 individuals. It is a highly efficient hunter and is known for its remarkable endurance and agility. It preferentially targets large and medium-sized ungulates. Depending on the geographical area, it generally competes with the tiger (Panthera tigris) or the leopard (Panthera pardus) with some dietary overlap.

Nevertheless, the Dhole is an important predator in its ecosystem, and is essential for controlling populations of herbivores and maintaining ecological balance. This can be easily apprehended by the fact that wiping of this species in Bhutan in the 1980s led to an overwhelming increase in wild pig population, further leading to crop damage and extensive monetary losses.

Threats to the Asiatic Wild Dog

Dhole population is estimated to be confined to less than 2500 individuals and still declining. “Historically, too, they got a bad deal. Since dholes hunted valuable game species like deer and other herbivores, British sport hunters resented them. So they were treated as pests and bounty-hunted until they came under the Wild Life (Protection) Act in 1972.” reports mintLounge in an article titled “Rooting for dholes, the underdogs of the forest.” Dhole faces similar risks as most other top predators it shares its space with. Major threats that the species faces today are as follows:

  • Habitat loss
  • Disease transmission from feral dogs
  • Competition with other large carnivores
  • Human-animal conflict
  • Human perception and conservation conflict

Conservation Efforts for the Dhole

To conserve the Dhole population in India, several measures have been taken by the government as well as by non-government organizations. Protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have been established to provide safe habitats for the Dholes and other wildlife. In addition, there have been efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and prevent hunting through community engagement and education programs.

Captive breeding

Captive breeding helps in generating awareness about these wonderful canid species amongst general public. Unfortunately, it is challenging to sustain dholes in captivity. The website dholes.org describes the many problems in keeping the animals captive: “They are capable of jumping two meters vertically from a standing position. They can climb up chain link fences and dig under it, meaning they need an overhang or dig wire to prevent escape. They are also great swimmers, so moat systems that work for other animals might not work well for dholes. Because dholes are pack breeders and need many non-breeding animals to reproduce successfully, they require a much larger exhibit and a larger population size to be sustainable.”  

One of the most promising initiatives for Dhole conservation in India is the Dhole conservation breeding program. This program involves captive breeding of Dholes and their subsequent release into the wild. The goal of this program is to increase the Dhole population and also help in mitigating the impact of inbreeding. Furthermore, the program also helps us understand more about the species and their behavior, which is crucial for the conservation of the species. The first successful conservation breeding center for Asiatic wild dogs in India was established at the Indira Gandhi Zoolological park after the successful in-breeding of wild dogs in the city zoo, where they were able to multiply the population of these canids from two to 22.

Research

Research and monitoring are also important components of Dhole conservation. Regular monitoring of Dhole populations and their habitats provides valuable information on the status and trends of the species, and helps in the development of effective conservation strategies. To this end Dr. Arjun Srivathsa, of the National center for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and other experts have mapped out the potential areas for dhole population recovery/introduction in India in a detailed review published in the journal Mammalian Review. According to the review, “Dholes occupy ~49% of potential habitats in 685 of mainland India’s 2342 sub-districts.

We identified 143 sub-districts with potential for dhole population recovery, 145 for habitat recovery, and 404 for range expansion. Of the 34 mainland states/union territories, 17 were identified as high priority for dhole conservation. Of these, nine are adequately equipped to implement management actions to conserve dholes, while eight need to improve capacity towards increasing likelihood of conservation success.” Moreover, they have mapped connectivity hotspots across India, in another detailed research, which can be used to target certain areas to increase the connectivity for dholes’ population across India. Their findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology in October 2021.

Get Involved in Dhole Conservation

The conservation of the Dhole in India is a complex and ongoing process that requires the efforts of the government, non-government organizations, and local communities. You can also play a role in conserving this magnificent species by supporting organizations that work on Dhole conservation, spreading awareness about the importance of conserving the Dhole and its habitat, and reducing your own impact on the environment.

In conclusion, the Dhole is a unique and important species that plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature. By conserving the Dhole and its habitat, we are not only saving this magnificent species but also ensuring the health and biodiversity of the forests of India. So, let’s come together and do our part in saving the Asiatic Wild Dog!

Help us help them! Think Wildlife Foundation is a non profit organization with various conservation initiatives. Our most prominent campaign is our Caring for Pari intiative. Pari is a rehabilitated elephant at the Wildlife SoS Hospital. 25% of the profits from our store are donated to the elephant hospital for Pari. Other than buying our wonderful merchandise, you could donate directly to our Caring For Pari fundraiser.

Written by: Ankit Dhoundiyal

References

Think Wildlife Foundation