Asiatic Wild Dogs (Dhole)

 

1. Mange outbreak reported among Asiatic wild dogs in Mudumalai.  

• Mange is a skin disease that affects mammals caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin.

2. About Asiatic Wild Dogs (Dhole):

• Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus

• Family: Canidae

• Appearance: Dholes are slender and agile canids, resembling a mix between a fox and a domestic dog. They typically have reddish-brown fur with white markings on the chest, belly, and feet. They have rounded ears and a bushy tail.

• Habitat: South and Southeast Asia, including dense forests, grasslands and alpine areas.

• Distribution: India, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand etc.

• In India, it inhabits the Eastern and Western Ghats, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Ladakh etc.

• Food and Feeding: Dholes are primarily carnivorous and hunt in packs. Their diet includes a wide range of prey, including deer, wild boar, small mammals, and birds.

• Threat: Habitat loss, disease threat etc.

• Protection Status:

1. IUCN: Endangered

2. CITES: Appendix II

3. Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I and II

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