Dholes (Cuon alpinus)

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(01-28-2019, 12:16 PM)Wolverine Wrote: If we put aside the question of dhole-tiger relations (I'm a bit tired by this topic) it was noticed by scientists that when pack of dholes hunts in the jungle their movements cause extreme panic among herbivores and sometimes the whole area became empty of animals.
Here is citate from the Swedish naturalist Jan Linblad in his book "The world of the Jungle Book, 1972", the book I have is translated to other European language and I'll retranslate it to English:

"We even saw red wolves. Four of those rear and rearily observed animals suddenly appeared in the front of our eyes... But their appearance created a big panic, langurs started terrible noise, watching the pack, which was running quickly on the dry leaves and all herbivores as fast streams spreaded out on the woody slopes.  Huge space in the front of the dholes got totally empty."

https://litlife.club/br/?b=133908&p=14

*This image is copyright of its original author

Similar description has R.Pockock in Mammalia, vol II, p.178:
"Their depradations will soon clear out large areas of forest of game compelling the pack to go elsewhere, sometimes far afield, for food, and the place could be free for weaks or months, so there is no certanty of finding them in any particcular spott."

https://archive.org/details/PocockMammalia2/page/n177

This remind me even Kipling  :

“The dhole, the dhole of the Dekkan — Red Dog, the Killer! They came north from the south saying the Dekkan was empty and killing out by the way."

Dhole-tiger relationship is interesting, but we have no deadline luckily. When finding some new source or old source not yet noticed, it is nice to see it shared here. 

What comes to dholes overall it is interesting species. Those descriptions about prey animal behavior might have a lot to do with it, that when dhole hunts, prey has pretty slim chances to flee. Dhole seems to be most efficient predator in regions it lives. Reply