Bronx Zoo debuts pack of endangered dhole
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 56 CTOBER 25-31, 2019 BTR
BRONX SCENE
A pack of three male dhole (Cuon
alpinus), a species of Asiatic wild
dog, has debuted at the Bronx Zoo
and can be seen in their new habitat
adjacent to the Himalayan Highlands.
The three dholes are siblings that
were born at the San Diego Zoo Safari
Park in 2016. Exhibit times may
vary while the animals acclimate to
their new home.
Dholes are carnivores native to
portions of southern and central
Asia. They inhabit forests and grasslands
in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia;
China; India; Indonesia; Lao;
Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; and
Thailand. In the wild, they live in
packs of about 12 animals, but packs
of up to 40 individuals have been
documented.
They are social, but unlike some
other wild canids, do not have a
complex social hierarchy. The alpha
male and female are normally
the breeding pair and the rest of the
pack largely consists of their offspring.
Dholes have a have fox-like appearance,
with a brownish-red coat
with a dark, bushy tail. In some regions,
populations have distinctive
white patches around the neck,
chest, belly and feet. Adult dhole
weigh between 25 and 45 pounds.
Dhole numbers in the wild are
decreasing due to human activities,
including land development resulting
in habitat loss, hunting, and diseases
from domestic dogs.
Their wild populations are severely
fragmented and they are
classified as Endangered by the International
Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN). According to the
IUCN, estimates indicate there are
fewer than 2,500 adult dholes remaining
in the wild.
The Wildlife Conservation Society
is working in India, Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia
and Indonesia to protect dholes
and their habitat. WCS scientists
have helped identify where dholes
need better protection by studying
prey species. More recently, field
conservationists studied dholes over
an eight-year period using motionactivated
field cameras, scat DNA,
and tracks.
The arrival of the dhole at the
Bronx Zoo will be featured in the
fourth season of THE ZOO, premiering
on Animal Planet in 2020.
A pack of three male dhole has debuted at the Bronx Zoo.
Photo courtesy of Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS