IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

Dholes or Asiatic wild dogs                                                        

8th February, 2022 Environment

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Context: A new study has reported the presence of dholes or Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) in the high mountains of Central Asia nearly 30 years after their presence was last recorded.

About Dhole:

  • Native species of: Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia.
  • Habitation and distribution: The dhole occurs in most of India south of the Ganges, particularly in the Central Indian Highlands and the Western and Eastern Ghats. It is also present in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and West Bengal and in the Indo-Gangetic Plain's Terai region.
  • Other names for the species: Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, and mountain wolf.
  • Conservation status:
    • It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
    • CITES Appendix II
    • protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • Factors contributing to declining population: habitat loss, loss of prey, competition with other species, persecution due to livestock predation, and disease transfer from domestic dogs

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/researchers-spot-dholes-in-kyrgyzstan-after-3-decades-81411