Population of dhole remains a mystery
WILDLIFE conservation organisations have warned that the dhole, a wild dog which may be Cambodia’s sole predatory species in the Central Cardamom Mountains, may be in decline.
The dhole (Cuon alpines) is a medium-sized species of wild dog, and is listed an endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The precise Cambodian population is unknown, but fewer and fewer sightings have been recorded in recent years.
Seng Teak, country director of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), described the animals as highly social, adding that they live and hunt in packs of five to 12 individuals, although groups of up to 40 have been observed in some countries.
He explained that they hunt in packs, working to bring down medium-sized hoofed animals like deer.
“Dholes play a very important role in the ecosystem. They help balance nature and the population of several species. They also attract tourists and other wildlife enthusiasts, who are drawn to their skilled hunting strategies,” he said.
According to Teak, in the 1990s, through patrols and remote cameras, conservation groups spotted large numbers of the wild dogs, generally in groups of five to 10, in the jungles of Cambodia.
He said most examples were observed in the north-eastern highlands of Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces, the northern landscapes which include Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear, and the Cardamom Mountain parts of Pursat, Koh Kong and Pailin.
He said that although sightings are on the decline, the species still appears sustainable.
“We do not have any specific figures for Cambodia yet, but we know that they are still present and capable of reproducing in the wild,” he said.
Conservation International (CI) Cambodia took to social media on March 9 to explain that due to their shy and mysterious nature, dhole numbers are notoriously difficult to account for. According to the IUCN, the global population may be less than 2,500.
“They are probably the only predatory species left in the Central Cardamom landscape. The main threat to these unique wild dogs is the loss of habitat due to human activities, the decline on prey animals and disease,” it said.
It added that in order to support the survival of the dhole, conservation efforts focus on effectively addressing those threats, and the establishment of systematic biodiversity monitoring projects, through the use of automatic camera traps.
Extensive conservation efforts are being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and local communities, to ensure that endangered species, including wild dogs, continue to live in the landscape.