In News
- A recent study has identified priority areas where habitats can be consolidated to enhance population connectivity for the dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus).
Dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog
- About:
- The dhole is found in a wide variety of habitat types, including deciduous and evergreen forests and alpine steppe.
- Prevalence in India:
- The dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) is found in three clusters across India namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, central Indian landscape and North East India.
- The Western and Eastern Ghats is a stronghold region for dholes.
- Range:
- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, VietNam
- Threats:
- Loss of forest cover, depletion of prey base, persecution and possibly disease transfer from domestic and feral dogs.
- The main preys for the dhole are ungulates, which have also suffered high depletion of their population across the dhole’s range.
- Conservation status:
- IUCN status: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II
- It is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in India.
Image Courtesy: Wiki
