Ecology of Dhole (Cuon alpinus Pallas) in Central India

Abstract

The objectives of the project in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, were to estimate the seasonal abundance of dhole prey species, the diet of the dhole packs from their scats and kills, to determine patterns of habitat use and range sizes of dhole packs, to estimate temporal changes in size and composition of dhole packs, and the processes behind such changes, to screen captured dhole and other animals for diseases, and estimate the probability of contact with potential disease carriers, to devise standardised protocols for dhole population surveys and to estimate dhole population size for the Tiger Reserve.