Cambodia is home to a fearsome but little-known predator: the dhole (Cuon alpinus), a small wild dog also known as the Asian wild dog. Several individuals have been filmed roaming the Kingdom's eastern plains.
The good news came on Saturday from the World Wildlife Fund Cambodia (WWF-Cambodia), which said that the dhole was now on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
A very social animal
The dhole differs from most canids (dogs and wolves) in that it has fewer molars on either side of its lower jaw and a thicker snout. The dhole is essentially a carnivore. Its fur is orange-red, sometimes turning dark grey. Its bushy tail is black and white, as is its belly.
It has round ears and amber eyes. The dhole's sounds include whining, growling, calling, whistling and squeaking in young.
The whistle is also a contact sound often used to bring the pack together. This wild dog is a highly social animal. The groups they form average around ten individuals, but packs of more than 30 to 40 dogs have been observed.
Once
The dhole is native to South-East Asia. Historically, it was found in many other regions. Its distribution extended from China to Malaysia and Indonesia. Today, dholes are still found along the borders of Russia, in Pakistan, Central Asia and East Asia. The largest populations are thought to be in India.
Habitat
The dhole adapts to a wide variety of habitats, most often in tropical forests or jungles. It also likes mountainous regions and riverbanks. The dhole is also often found on paths through the jungle. They almost always hunt in groups, preferring medium-sized prey such as deer. It will sometimes also attack larger prey, such as banteng, in groups. The dhole is very comfortable in water, where it will sometimes rush its prey.
It is now the largest remaining carnivore in the Cardamom rainforest landscape and has a larger home range in tropical Asia than tigers. They are restricted to the most remote and undisturbed forests in Asia. The Cardamom rainforest is still home to a relatively large population of these wild dogs.
A bad reputation
The dhole has long had a poor relationship with humans. It has been a little-loved character in literature. In ‘The Jungle Book 2’, it is the animal that kills Mowgli's favourite wolf. In fact, their bad reputation stems from the fact that they attack in groups and rarely kill their prey on the first try. They usually start by devouring their prey while it is still alive. The dhole shares its hunting territory with the tiger and leopard, and these ferocious carnivores often steal prey from each other.
Threats
The dhole suffers from the loss of its habitat, but also from diseases transmitted to it by domestic dogs. It is also hunted, as villagers fear it will attack domestic livestock. Cambodia's dhole populations have not been recorded, although it is estimated that they are largely at risk of total extinction due to habitat loss and the scarcity of prey.
Illustrations : Fabrice Stoger
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