Asiatic wild dog returns to Assam’s Kaziranga landscape

The dhole, or Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus), believed to have been locally exterminated, has made a confirmed return to Assam’s Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL), according to a new study by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

The findings, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, indicate that this elusive and less charismatic carnivore may have gone unnoticed for an extended period, despite its ecological significance.

“India is experiencing a decline in wildlife species due to habitat loss, deforestation, and climate change. Species once thought to be extirpated from certain areas are being rediscovered, offering hope for conservation efforts,” the study notes.

Mujahid Ahamad, Jyotish Ranjan Deka, Priyanka Borah, Umar Saeed, Ruchi Badola, and Syed Ainul Hussain are the authors of the study, which highlights the first-ever camera-trap evidence of the endangered canid in the Amguri corridor of the KKAL.

“This finding is significant as it highlights the ecological value of the corridor in supporting threatened species,” said Dr. Ruchi Badola, Dean of WII’s Faculty of Wildlife Sciences, speaking to The Hindu. “Dholes require large, undisturbed forest habitats, and their presence here confirms the need to conserve this dynamic wildlife corridor, which also supports tigers, leopards, elephants, and other species.”

“With increasing threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, this discovery is a timely reminder of why these forest linkages must be protected and restored for the long-term survival of India’s lesser-known carnivores,” she added.

The study, conducted in 2022, focused on four key animal corridors within the 25,000 sq. km KKAL, which lies within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. These corridors include Panbari, Haldhibari, Kanchanjuri, and Amguri.

The dhole was photo-captured on six occasions in the Amguri corridor. All images were of a single individual, recorded 375 metres from National Highway 37 and approximately 270 metres from the nearest human settlement.

Dholes are social animals known to form packs of up to 30 individuals. However, depending on prey availability, they may also hunt alone or in pairs.

The current distribution of the dhole is restricted to parts of Central and Eastern Asia, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Its global range, however, is now less than a quarter of its historical extent, significantly reduced due to threats such as habitat degradation, prey depletion, and retaliatory killings.

The last confirmed sighting of dholes in northeast India was reported from Nagaland in 2011.