Northern Dhole Conservation

Not many people know about dholes. These wild dogs once ranged across the vast majority of Asia, from Russia across China into Central Asia and throughout the Himalayas and down into Southeast Asia. This unique canid, the only species in the genus Cuon and only distantly related to wolves and other wild dogs, was briefly spotlighted to the general public as the voracious “red dog” in Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 The Jungle Book. Otherwise, this highly social, pack-hunting wild dog has lived in relative anonymity.

Dholes have suffered from this anonymity, as with few people paying any attention, the global population disappeared from over 75% of its global range in the past century. While still found in small and isolated forest patches throughout Southeast Asia, the dhole was believed to have disappeared from its entire northern range. This was especially unfortunate as the northern dhole looks very different from the southern one, with a much longer, more luxurious coat and higher contrast in the reddish and white coloration. Nothing is known about genetic differences between these two very different-looking races.

However, in recent years a few observations and signs suggest that a very few northern dholes might still survive in the high Tibetan plateau region of central China. More recently (2019), a snow leopard survey found dhole signs (scat and local observations), suggesting a few dholes might also survive in northern Tajikistan, near the Kyrgyz border.

Given this exciting discovery – dholes were thought to be extinct across Central Asia for over 30 years! – Zoo New England is partnering with local scientists in Tajikistan along with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine to hold a focused survey of the high Tien Shan Mountains for dholes (as well as for co-occurring snow leopards and gray wolves). This survey will look for signs and observations, including by local people, with Cornell doing genetic analyses of scat to determine if they are, indeed, from dholes.

If evidence is found that a population of northern dholes still exists in these high mountains, Zoo New England will look to begin a community-focused conservation initiative to help protect, preserve and recover this tiny remnant population. Stay tuned!

Southern dhole photo credit: Davidvraju, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons