Attitudes Toward Dholes.
“ Except for his handsome appearance, the wild dog has not a single redeeming feature, and no effort, fair or foul, should be spared to destroy these pests of the jungle.”
~ Phythian-Adams, 1949
~ Phythian-Adams, 1949
Dholes are one of the least studied and least understood canids globally. However, we do know that dholes are at high risk of extinction due to ruthless persecution by local hunters, depletion of their prey animals (such as deer or rabbits), competition with other carnivores, and diseases transmitted by increasing populations of feral and domestic dogs.
The greatest threat to dholes results from the fact that local people regard them as “a pest of the jungles,” and consequently they are being trapped, shot, or poisoned. Because of the public’s negative attitudes toward dholes and because they are perceived as less charismatic than other carnivores, such as tigers, dholes have also received little attention from scientists.
The greatest threat to dholes results from the fact that local people regard them as “a pest of the jungles,” and consequently they are being trapped, shot, or poisoned. Because of the public’s negative attitudes toward dholes and because they are perceived as less charismatic than other carnivores, such as tigers, dholes have also received little attention from scientists.