Latest news with #Dhole
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Endangered creature — thought missing from India forest — rediscovered. See it
Covering more than 9,500 square miles of land in northeastern India, the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape, or KKAL, is fragmented. The land is a 'complex mosaic of protected and non-protected areas' and is pieced together by a series of natural corridors, according to a study published June 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. During a reconnaissance survey along these interconnected corridors of land, researchers set up camera traps to capture and identify animals that may be using the pathways to move between the islands of natural land, according to the study. What they didn't expect was to rediscover a species once thought missing in the region. From February 2021 to December 2022, a total of 83 camera traps captured 15,278 'camera-trap days' of images, according to the study. Six of these photos were different from the others. Captured by camera traps for the first time in October 2022, the images show an Asiatic wild dog, or dhole, passing in front of the lens, researchers said. 'This was the only instance where we captured a Dhole on camera in the landscape during the study period,' researchers said. '... The habitat consists of moist mixed deciduous forest, dominated by teak.' The sighting marks the first photo evidence of a dhole in the region after it was 'extirpated,' or eliminated, in the 1990s, researchers said. Dholes are listed as an endangered species, according to the study, and are protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act from 1972. They were once abundant across the Tian Shan and Altai mountains in Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, as well as further south through China, Tibet, Nepal and India, according to the study. Their range has shrunk significantly from threats like 'retaliatory killing, habitat loss, and prey depletion,' researchers said. Less than 25% of their original range still stands today. Dholes are dogs and communal hunters, typically traveling in packs of up to 30 animals but can hunt alone or in pairs when prey is scarce, according to the study. They are about the size of a German shepherd, but look more like a fox with elongated legs, according to the San Diego Zoo. 'Dholes are incredibly athletic. They are fast runners, excellent swimmers and impressive jumpers,' the zoo said. 'These skills are critical when the pack is hunting. In some protected areas, they share habitat with tigers and leopards.' They are sometimes called whistle dogs because of an 'eerie whistle' they use to communicate with one another, according to the San Diego Zoo. They also make clucks and screams that are unique to these dogs. The KKAL is in the Assam state of India, a northeastern state south of Bhutan and China. The research team includes Mujahid Ahamad, Jyotish Ranjan Deka, Priyanka Borah, Umar Saeed, Ruchi Badola and Syed Ainul Hussain.
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
‘Each tree is worth over one crore': Raghunath Maruti Dhole on his remarkable conservation model
Written by Kivi Lydia Vito 'When I was a child, I saw my mother cooking with firewood. I realised she was cutting trees to feed me. Our 400 generations did this for survival, and now it is my duty to replant,' says Raghunath Maruti Dhole, 69, reflecting on his forest conservation journey. Today he is responsible for a veritable revolution in the preservation of native plants in Pune. Through the Devrai Foundation, Dhole has been working to revive barren land using the model of the Devrai, sacred groves traditionally protected by local communities for spiritual reasons. Though the Naigaon-based Foundation was registered in 2013, Dhole's personal efforts date back to the 1980s. Dhole and his team including close friends–Dhananjay Shedbale, Suresh Namaji Shinde, and Uday Bhanudas Gujar–his wife and children developed a plantation model featuring between 119 and 190 native species of trees and plants. These species are drawn from sacred groves where no planting or cutting has taken place for centuries, reflecting the region's original biodiversity. 'We studied sacred groves from different regions and created a plantation plan for one acre of land, selecting 119 appropriate native species from a pool of 500,' Dhole explained. Speaking about the importance of preserving native plants and the ecological consequences of losing these native plants, he says, 'If a species of tree vanishes, one butterfly species also vanishes because each tree depends on pollination.' He continues, 'Some 40 years ago, I planted two eucalyptus trees and later found out they were exotic. At the time, I didn't know which species were native and which were not,' Dhole said. Highlighting these common planting mistakes, Dhole says, 'Palash is a native tree that attracts many birds, butterflies, and honey bees but instead, we are planting Gulmohar, which is not native to India and provides no food or support to local wildlife.' He adds that many non-native species introduced during British colonial times are vulnerable to heavy rain and winds, undermining the ecosystem's stability. The foundation offers saplings and guidance free of cost but only to those who have one acre of land, water and protection ready. 'Planting is just 1 per cent of the job, growing the tree is 99 per cent. If we charge for saplings, we turn nature into a business. That must be avoided,' Dhole emphasises. He continues, 'So far, we have contributed to 414 sacred groves on barren lands in places like Solapur, Sangli, Amravati, Kolhapur and beyond Maharashtra in Bhopal, Gujarat, Calcutta, and Goa. We have also created more than 80 ghanwans (dense forest), over 200 tree libraries, and set up 18 types of nurseries.' Dhole recounted once sending 43 saplings to Noida by plane, emphasising that roots can be safely wrapped and replanted when they reach their destination. The foundation has donated 3.4 million saplings, with a 70 per cent survival rate, over two million trees still thriving. 'If you multiply that by what a single tree gives back in terms of oxygen, pollution control, soil regeneration, each tree is worth over one crore. This is real wealth,' he adds. In educational outreach, the foundation has also created over 200 tree libraries for schools. These mini-forests feature potted plants with informative cards giving details such as botanical names, flowering periods, and medicinal uses, encouraging students to connect with nature. While acknowledging the inevitability of urbanisation, he believes a balance is possible, he says, 'If a tree must be cut for a road or building we can't avoid it but plant a hundred elsewhere. Go to your native village and invest in trees there.' He urges a return to responsibility towards the land that sustains us. 'Everyone has come from somewhere where the land has given us water, food, and childhood. It is time to repay it.' Operating without external funding, the foundation remains community- driven. 'Everyone has to repay the earth in some way. That is why we created Devrai Foundation, to ensure this work continues after I am gone,' Dhole says. Dhole's commitment is global in outlook. 'If a person wants to plant in Goa or China, let them. Trees do not recognise borders. They are a global asset.' 'What I've learned in 40 years is that people love plants but they just need direction, the right saplings and a reason to start,' he says. He continues, 'This is not charity. We cannot eat money or gold but we can eat fruit, breathe clean air, and drink water. All of this comes from trees. Nature is not asking for charity. It is asking us to remember who we are.'
Hans India
29-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
IGZP celebrates ‘World Dhole Day'
Visakhapatnam: Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam, celebrated 'World Dhole Day' here on Wednesday. Engaging students, a drawing competition was held at the zoo. The celebration aimed at raising awareness about the endangered Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic wild dog, and its critical role in maintaining ecological balance. Students unlocked their creativity and brought a number of artworks to life, some of them highlighted the habitats of Asiatic wild dogs also known as dholes. Through the event, participants also learned about the importance of dhole conservation and the species' presence in the enclosures of Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, said curator of the zoo G. Mangamma. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is one of the soos in the country identified by the Central Zoo Authority to take up planned coordinated conservation breeding of endangered Asiatic Wild dogs in captivity with certain recommendations for conservation breeding initiatives. Technical guidance from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Lacones, Hyderabad are taken in collaboration with other Universities for monitoring the populations, making necessary technical inputs when required, including training of the zoo personnel. Conservation breeding facility in the form of an off-display centre will be created for scientifically breeding wild dogs in IGZP, Visakhapatnam.
