Dholes being driven away from non-forest areas, says study

‘Their numbers have dropped outside reserve forests, from 53% in 2007 to 43% in 2015’

Researchers have compared the occupancy of dholes in the State’s Western Ghats in 2007 and 2015 in the study. File pHOTO

Faced with threats of forest loss, livestock grazing, and free-ranging dogs, the elusive wild dogs’ population (dholes) found predominantly in the forests of the Western Ghats, may be on a decline.

Researchers from University of Florida and Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) compared the occupancy of dholes in the State’s Western Ghats in 2007 and 2015.

If in 2007, dholes were found in 68% of the landscape of protected reserves, by 2015, it had declined to 63%.

The decline was far greater in areas outside of reserve forest areas: from 53% in 2007 to 43% in 2015, shows the study published recently in the international journal

Scientific Reports.

Dholes (Cuon alpinus) are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘endangered’ and remain lesser-studied than carnivores such as tigers and leopards, who share their forests. IUCN estimates that there may be less than 2,215 mature dholes in the wild, with their population on a significant decline.

Divided into grids

Arjun Srivathsa from the School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida (the U.S.) and lead author of the study, along with CWS researchers, divided nearly 37,000 sq km of Karnataka’s Western Ghats area into grids of around 188 sq km. In two batches, 2007 and 2015, they traversed up to 45km in each cell to find signs of the dholes through scats and tracks.

Their findings show that in 2007, if dholes were seen in 62% of the overall landscape, it had declined to 54% by 2015, implying either population decline or contracting ranges of dholes.

“We found that forest loss was the primary driver of range reduction. Forest loss, of course, is associated with loss of prey. The dholes avoided areas with high livestock activity, and although we did not directly measure it, free-ranging dogs may be negatively affecting dhole presence as well,” says Mr. Srivathsa.

Considering that dholes actively avoid human-habited areas, he says that livestock grazing brings with it two issues for the wild canid: an increase in presence of humans in forest areas, while livestock tend to drive away wild herbivores who compete for forage.

Human presence also brings with it domesticated and free-ranging dogs. These canines come in direct conflict with the dholes, or compete with them for prey, and can even transfer disease to their wild counterparts, suspect researchers.

Protected areas

The research reaffirms the importance of protected areas where dhole sighting declines are marginal compared to areas outside the protection ambit. It is these areas — in particular, Kali, Kudremukh, and Cauvery-MM Hills habitats — that provide a ray of hope for conservation, say researchers.

Several factors

“The marginal decline in dhole occupancy within protected areas was specifically in some reserves with relatively lower prey densities and lower protection. These areas have the potential to support better prey densities, if human activities are controlled and protection efforts are increased. With increase in prey populations and lower pressure from livestock grazing, dhole populations can do better,” says Mr. Srivathsa.