Dhole / Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus)

Context:  Dhole Spotted Again in Assam’s Kaziranga

A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, confirms the reappearance of the dhole (Asiatic wild dog) in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL) in Assam. 

The species, believed to have been locally extinct, was photo-captured six times in the Amguri corridor, close to National Highway 37 and a human settlement. This reappearance highlights the ecological value of the corridor, which supports other threatened species like tigers, leopards, and elephants.

About Dhole (Cuon alpinus)

• Common Name: Asiatic Wild Dog

• Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus

• Family: Canidae

• CITES Status: Appendix II

• Schedule: Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (India)

• IUCN Status: Endangered

• Threats: Populations are declining due to habitat loss, prey depletion, disease, and human conflict.

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Distribution & Habitat

Historically Widespread:

• Central, South, and Southeast Asia

Currently Restricted to Fragmented Populations In:

• India

• Nepal

• Bhutan

• Bangladesh

• Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia)

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Dhole Habitat in India

Found in: Dense forests, grasslands, and hilly regions

Major Protected Areas:

Western Ghats:

• Bandipur National Park (Karnataka)

• Nagarhole National Park (Karnataka)

• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu)

• Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala)

Central India:

• Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)

• Pench National Park (Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra)

Eastern India & Northeast:

• Similipal Tiger Reserve (Odisha)

• Pakke and Namdapha Tiger Reserves (Arunachal Pradesh)

• Kaziranga National Park and KKAL (Assam) — now confirmed.

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Habitat and Distribution

• Preferred Habitat: Dense forests, scrub jungles, and grasslands

• Geographical Range:

  • India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh

  • Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia)

• Current Distribution: Patchy and fragmented across central and southeast Asia

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Ecological Role & Threats

• Role: Apex predator; hunts in packs; Acts as an indicator species

• Threats:

  • Habitat loss and fragmentation

  • Prey depletion

  • Disease transmission from domestic dogs

  • Human-wildlife conflict and low public attention

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Hunting Behavior

• Perform pre-hunt rituals: nuzzling, body rubbing, mounting

• Primarily diurnal hunters, active early morning; rarely hunt at night unless moonlit

• Chase prey for hours; take turns chasing while others follow behind

• Most chases short (about 500 m), speed up to 50 km/h (30 mph)

• Often drive prey into water to slow them down

• Attack method:

  • One grabs nose, others pull prey down by flanks and hindquarters

  • Do not kill with a throat bite

  • Sometimes attack eyes to blind prey

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Feeding Ecology

• Main prey in India: Chital, sambar deer, wild boar, gaur, nilgai, etc.

• Occasionally bring down Indian elephant calves

• Also hunt snow sheep, reindeer, musk deer, tapirs, and more in different regions

• Rarely attack humans

• Eat insects, lizards, fruits, and vegetation more than other canids

• In captivity, eat grasses and herbs for enjoyment

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Enemies and Competition

• Share habitat with tigers, leopards, wolves, bears

• Tigers: Dangerous predators of dholes; can kill them with one paw strike

• High tiger density leads to smaller dhole clans due to predation and kleptoparasitism (tigers stealing kills)

• Dholes may steal leopard kills; leopards may kill lone or paired dholes

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Reproduction and Development

• Breeding season in India: October to January

• In captivity (Moscow Zoo): mostly in February

• Clans may have multiple breeding females

• During mating: Female assumes crouched position; no copulatory tie

• Gestation: 60–63 days

• Average litter size: 4–6 pups

• Pups grow faster than wolf pups, similar to coyotes

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Denning Behavior

• Four types of dens:

  • Simple earth dens (often former hyena or porcupine dens)

  • Complex multi-entrance earth dens

  • Simple rock dens

  • Complex interconnected rock dens

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Social and Territorial Behavior

• More social than gray wolves, with less dominance hierarchy

• Live in clans, not packs — clans often split into small groups (3–5 members) for hunting, especially during spring

• Dominant individuals are hard to identify; others show submissive behavior

• Rarely fight within the group

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Vocalizations

• Make whistling sounds (similar to red foxes), called "coo-coo", to coordinate in thick vegetation

• Emit screaming “KaKaKaKAA” sounds when attacking prey