Asiatic wild dog: The forgotten predator

TalkIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing about the canIndex.html" target="_blank">Ine dhole, Index.html" target="_blank">Index.html" target="_blank">People would thIndex.html" target="_blank">Ink of words like vicious and cunnIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing. Index.html" target="_blank">In many ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Inese idioms, it is used to represent mean and truculent Index.html" target="_blank">Index.html" target="_blank">People. Index.html" target="_blank">In general, dhole has a poor reputation. The stereotype to some extent deters Index.html" target="_blank">Index.html" target="_blank">People from knowIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing more about the creature.

With rust-colored fur, the dhole is often mistaken as a wolf or dog. However, it is only 30 to 50 percent the size of a wolf. As an adept predator, it roams Index.html" target="_blank">In forests and meadows of Central and East Asia, hence its name Asiatic wild dog. Index.html" target="_blank">In ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina, the dhole is widely distributed Index.html" target="_blank">In western provIndex.html" target="_blank">Inces.

Closeup of a dhole. /VCG Photo

Dhole usually lives Index.html" target="_blank">In a packof around 10 members. Unlike the wolf, the dhole pack does not have a rigid domIndex.html" target="_blank">Inance hierarchy but is more egalitarian and flexible. DurIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing huntIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing, they splitIndex.html" target="_blank">Into small groups andmanifest a fabulous cooperation ability Index.html" target="_blank">In brIndex.html" target="_blank">IngIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing down their prey. They then would share meals together and the pups are allowed to eat before other pack members, which is not the case Index.html" target="_blank">In a wolf pack.

Unfortunately, the dhole is poorly studied by scientists. Firstly, they are hard to fIndex.html" target="_blank">Ind and observe. Besides, the dholes usually share the same habitat with tigers and leopards, and their diets are sometimes overlapped. SIndex.html" target="_blank">Ince scientists and conservationists give more attention to tigers and leopards, the dhole is largely neglected.

An alerted dhole. /VCG Photo

Currently, dhole is listed as endangered by IUCN Red List and under the second-class state protection Index.html" target="_blank">In ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina. Their population is on a constant declIndex.html" target="_blank">Ine as they arethreatened by depletion of prey base, habitat loss, and huntIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing.

Dholes Index.html" target="_blank">In Asia have suffered from the declIndex.html" target="_blank">Ine of their prey. AccordIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing to a researcher, 70 percent of dhole's diet consists of meat, maIndex.html" target="_blank">Inly from ungulates. If dholes cannot get enough prey, they might hurt livestock which fuels the herders.As one of the top predators Index.html" target="_blank">In the area, dholes are of ecological importanceto the food chaIndex.html" target="_blank">In all the way down.

BathIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing Index.html" target="_blank">In the sunlight. /VCG Photo

ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina has established several forest reserves where wild dholes can forage and shelter. Recently, asmall pack of dholeshas been captured by the Index.html" target="_blank">Infrared camera Index.html" target="_blank">In reserves like the Heishui River Giant Panda Nature Reserve Index.html" target="_blank">In southwest ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina's Sichuan ProvIndex.html" target="_blank">Ince and the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve Index.html" target="_blank">In northwest ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina's Gansu ProvIndex.html" target="_blank">Ince.

SIndex.html" target="_blank">Ince 2013, the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve AdmIndex.html" target="_blank">Inistration has cooperated with universities Index.html" target="_blank">IncludIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing BeijIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing Forestry University, University of Oxford and University of Manchester to conduct research on dholes. They use Index.html" target="_blank">Infrared cameras to monitor the distribution of endangered animals like dholes Index.html" target="_blank">In the reserve.

StrollIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing by the water. /VCG Photo

AccordIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing to IUCN, the dhole has disappeared Index.html" target="_blank">In 75% of its historically Index.html" target="_blank">Inhibited areas. It's very rare to spot a pack of ten dholes Index.html" target="_blank">In ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina nowadays.

Make It Famous

DurIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing this year's Two Sessions, a CPPCC member proposed to update the List of Wild Animals under State Priority Conservation, which has been changed onlyonce Index.html" target="_blank">In 30 years. Although the country has made great achievements Index.html" target="_blank">In protectIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing endangered species such as the giant panda, Tibetan antelope, and crested ibis Index.html" target="_blank">In the last decades, human activities, resource utilization, and climate change are contributIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing to the destruction of the habitats of certaIndex.html" target="_blank">In animals.

Index.html" target="_blank">In this series, we will learn about some of the unfamiliar endangered animals livIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing Index.html" target="_blank">In ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina and how Index.html" target="_blank">Index.html" target="_blank">People and organizations Index.html" target="_blank">In ChIndex.html" target="_blank">Ina are dedicated to protectIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing them.

(Cover image designed by CGTN's Liu Shaozhen)

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