The dhole (dōl) is a primitive canine species with a compact and athletic build, an aggressive nature and a strong pack social structure. These adaptations have allowed them to survive in diverse habitats and to compete with much larger predators for prey.

What They Eat
Exclusive carnivores, dholes eat mostly small to medium deer and wild boar. Often hunting in thick brush and forests, they rely on their keen sense of smell to find prey. Some packs specialize in driving prey into the water.

Where They Live
The dhole is highly adaptable and lives in diverse habitats; from dense forests in Thailand, alpine regions of Russia, open grassland steppe in China to thick scrub jungles in India. They live wherever their range has plenty of prey, water and suitable den sites.

What They Do
Dholes are very social, typically living in packs of 5 to 12 with a strict hierarchy. Sharing their range with other carnivores, the pack marks and defends its territory from other dhole packs. They den in abandoned burrows and have litters of up to 12 pups. All members of the pack care for the litter.

How They’re Doing
With fewer than 2,500 in the wild, dholes are endangered. Due to rapid human population growth in Asia, the major threats to dholes are loss of habitat and lack of prey. Disease from domestic and feral dogs is an increasing concern.

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Dhole

Dhole

• Dholes have very powerful jaws, but lack long canine teeth for the “killing bite” of other carnivores.
• Dholes work together to take down their prey and often begin to consume it while it’s still alive.
• An aggressive and relentless predator, Asian wild dogs hunt cooperatively to bring down prey up to ten times their size. 
• They sometimes harass much larger predators, even tigers, in efforts to steal their prey. 
• The single-crested cusps on a dhole's lower molars increase shearing ability to help them rip and consume prey more quickly.
• The Asian wild dog attacks prey by biting onto its nose, allowing others in the pack to attack from all sides.

The Minnesota Zoo supports dhole conservation in Thailand. Dhole population numbers have been falling in much of their remaining range, perhaps due to encroachment of domestic dogs into sanctuaries and other human pressures on their habitat. The Minnesota Zoo supports research efforts to capture and radio-collar dholes: data from GPS and radio collars help us better understand their home range, pack size, preferred habitat and movement patterns.

Adapted for Survival
The dhole is a primitive canine species with a compact and athletic build, an aggressive nature and a strong pack social structure.  These adaptations have allowed them to survive in diverse habitats and to compete with much larger predators for prey.

• Fur: varies by climate; typically longer, thicker and warmer in northern range and higher altitude
• Ears:  keen sense of hearing critical for communication and hunting; compact and furry to conserve body heat
• Long limbs:  built for quickness, leaping and even climbing; can jump nearly 8 feet high and leap 20 feet with a running start
• Stomach: large capacity allows them to gorge themselves; ability to regurgitate allows them to bring food to pups
• Larger litter size: females have more mammary glands than other canine species, allowing more pups to nurse
• Social: typical pack size of 5 to 12; daily play, fighting, grooming and communication behaviors are critical to their success as they hunt, defend territory and raise pups