Why In The News?

• The activity of the Asiatic wild dog in Assam’s Manas National Park showed the highest temporal overlap with the leopard.

About Asiatic Wild Dog (Dhole):

=> Physical features: 

• They are large carnivores that resemble a small wolf or a domestic dog in size; however, unlike dogs they have a rust-red to brown coat and the ears are rounded with fur.

=> Habitat Ecology:

• They inhabit a variety of habitat types that include primary, secondary and degraded forms of tropical dry and moist deciduous forests, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dry-thorn forests, scrublands etc.
• In India, the species inhabits tropical dry and moist deciduous forest supporting adequate prey base.
• It is the only endangered wild pack-living canid in the tropical Indian forests.

=> Distribution :

• It  has a large distribution range south and central Asia and Russia. In India, the species inhabits the southern part of the Indo-Gangetic plains, Eastern and Western Ghats and most parts of North-Eastern India
• It also occurs in some parts of Ladakh and Kashmir.

=> Threats :

• Loss of prey base, habitat loss and transformation vulnerable to multiple disease threats from domestic dogs

Protection status:

• IUCN Red list status : Endangered
• It is included in CITES – Appendix II