Two alert Dholes aka Indian Wild Dogs, Cuon alpinus, in Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, central India.
This species has other alternate names, like Asiatic Wild Dog or Red Wolf. One of it’s alternative names is Whistlng Dog, because of its distinctive whistle, which is used to pull a pack together in the dense undergrowth of its forest habitat.
Dholes live and hunt as a pack, so can bring down large prey animals, like Sambar Deer, Water Buffalo and even Gaur.
During the Pleistocene, the dhole ranged throughout Asia, Europe and North America, but became restricted to its current range in central and south Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Thailand, Indonesia and China, between 12,000 and 18, 000 years ago.
Asiatic Wild Dogs are listed as Endangered. Although they seem to be spreading northwards, with occasional packs being seen in northern China and one even in Russia, their numbers are declining. Reasons for the decline in numbers include diseases and habitat encroachment.
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