Dhole

Cuon alpinus

The dhole, Cuon alpinus, is a wild canid of Asia also known as the Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, or whistling dog. It has a rusty red coat, rounded ears, a dark bushy tail, and a social hunting style built around coordinated packs. Dholes once ranged widely through forests, mountains, and grasslands from South Asia into Southeast and East Asia, but surviving populations are fragmented and often tied to healthy prey bases and large protected landscapes.

Dholes are not domestic dogs and are managed only in professional wildlife settings. Zoos keep them in compatible packs with secure, spacious enclosures, denning areas, meat or carcass-based diets, and careful social planning to prevent aggression during breeding or introductions. Conservation work focuses on habitat corridors, prey recovery, disease transmission from free-ranging domestic dogs, and reducing conflict with people. Because the species is endangered, managed breeding and field monitoring can both contribute to long-term population planning.