The dhole, Cuon alpinus, often called the Asiatic Wild Dog, is a highly social canid species native to South, East, and Southeast Asia. This reddish-brown predator is classified as Endangered, with dwindling populations across its fragmented geographic range. Dholes live in complex, multi-generational packs or clans, typically numbering between five and twelve individuals. This communal structure is fundamental to their survival and allows them to be highly effective hunters.
Primary Targets: Large and Medium Ungulates
The core of the dhole’s diet consists of ungulates, or hoofed mammals, which their pack structure enables them to pursue and subdue. Preferred prey are medium-sized deer species, often weighing between 40 and 60 kilograms. In India, chital (Axis deer) and sambar deer are frequently targeted, with sambar often contributing the largest proportion of biomass to the diet.
Prey selection varies significantly based on local availability, demonstrating the dhole’s adaptability. For instance, in Southeast Asia, the smaller muntjac (barking deer) may dominate the diet alongside sambar. The pack also regularly hunts wild boar, nilgai, and even gaur, which are substantially larger than a single dhole. Dholes often select solitary or smaller-group ungulates over large herds.
Supplemental Food Sources
While large prey forms the bulk of their intake, dholes are opportunistic and consume a variety of smaller, supplemental food sources. They regularly prey on smaller mammals, including Indian hares, various rodents, and small primates like langurs. The dhole’s diet is distinct from many other canids due to its inclusion of non-animal matter. They consume insects, lizards, and other small reptiles when encountered. More significantly, dholes eat a variety of fruits and vegetation, such as grasses and herbs, a rare habit among hyper-carnivores.
Cooperative Hunting Strategies
The dhole’s ability to take down prey many times its own size depends entirely on its sophisticated cooperative hunting strategy. Dholes are primarily diurnal, hunting during the day and using a high-pitched whistling vocalization to coordinate during a chase. Packs typically split into smaller, flexible hunting units of three to five individuals to pursue quarry.
Their method relies on relentless, coordinated pursuit, often involving a relay chase where members take turns leading the pursuit to exhaust the fleeing ungulate. The pack works together to drive the prey into a vulnerable position, sometimes pushing it toward water or an obstacle. Successful kills are managed by the pack, which feeds rapidly and communally.