Project ideas for understanding dhole Cuon alpinus in wild Asia

ver.02_izzplvn734:september 2022
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Insights into natural history of asiatic wild dog Cuon alpinus in two environments of Asia: Vietnam and Central China

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** intro: **As depicted in famous words, a dhole remains an enigma, even if it struggles with survival. Based on this, we should set up priorities for conservation of asiatic wild dog in Central and East China, poorly known regions in the dimension of natural history of carnivores. This species and its populations are on the brink of extinction from i.e Chongqing and in the wilderness of Anhui. There are many inquiries about their conservation status and biology in the natural environment. Some projects perhaps will get the understanding of the species. Moreover, we know barely about the ecology and conservation status of remaining dholes in Vietnam. Ethnozoological projects would be kindly appreciated there. If you are interested to understand the ecological requirements of the species it would be great, but the choice is yours.

Arcana of dholes dwelling in Central China
abstract: If you are interested in studying endangered carnivores, let's read this paper. There are gaps in knowledge about conservation status and ecological requirements of dholes Cuon alpinus in Central China and surroundings, from middle lands up to east parts such as Daba Massif to Taihang Mountains and Jiangxi Region. Some aspects of understanding are following issues: how the patterns of life are, where species occur and what threats it faces. Those issues are important for saving it from extinction.

**article: **For western world, the historical knowledge of wild Central and East China is limited, but the world in that part of Asia is wonderful in natural treasures, legendary animal dwellers and flora mysteriosa. For example, more conservation research is needed for understanding natural history and human-wildlife conflicts of asiatic wild dog in Central China. It is only a proposed job, but the choice is yours. Meanwhile, there is a short story about a pilot survey of dholes in the Daba Mountains that could be conducted by a zoological academy, by real-life adventure. The field job that can be carried by biologists from polish and french institutions is afterall in the name of nature conservation and can be done in future years. For example, an European mercenary, a hypothetical member of IUCN’s group of researchers for dog’s family and a worker of Nantes Center for Natural Resources is seeking those rare inhabitants in such a sanctuary as Shennongjia. We have been informed about wild dog presence in Central China, but its population status is scarce. That canid haunts the hill regions (and sometimes plains), living in packs. The athletic carnivore attacks medium-sized to large ruminants or monkeys, but sometimes even catches hares. It is known as one of the four beasts of Chinese folklore.

Poorly known is the natural history of cyjon Cuon alpinus in that primitive territory, and this small project should fill the gaps in the knowledge. White dots in our knowledge about its population size, distribution patterns and other questions remain in connections with that part of Asia. This small project should be pioneering for changes in research. With 4x4 cars, drones and camera traps it is possible to find those canids and undertake insights into their secret lives. It is a job, which is relevant. We quest for creature, believed to be arcana among carnivores. At 4 am we get up early to eat breakfast, listen to music and take a shower. Afterwards we go to the basement to take all the needed equipment, we take the research stuff and clothes. The car is waiting for us near the base, this is isuzu D-max, a good vehicle for field projects. All day we are looking for scats and tracks of those wild canids, for documenting their population and status. We surveyed a large territory covering almost 4532-square-km area. Tracking the dholes by foot,  by car and using drones could be pioneer study of carnivores in that part of archaic Central China. Other species of interest include clouded leopard, giant chinese salamander, tufted deer, barred laughingthrush, hog badger, or chinese macaque. 

Another two small projects for dhole inventory can be implemented in Qinling Massif and Luoxiao Range located eastwards. Other regions such as Taihang Mountains and Funiu Range are areas-of-interest. Qingling is an interesting place, where four large carnivores (leopard, snow leopard, wolf, dhole) were recorded during extensive camera trapping surveys between 2005-2020 (Biodiv Sci ›› 2021).  Mesocarnivores such as ferret badger, hog badger, chinese palm civet and yellow- throated marten have been studied in these vast mountains between 2014-2017, in the name of spatial ecology (Global Eco&Cons ››  2022). Spatial and temporal isolation of those creatures condition systems to facilitate coexistence and reduce rivalry.  

Further conservation efforts are needed in this part of the world. Dholes suffer diseases from domestic dogs, depletion of prey base, habitat loss, poaching and other practices and some problems touch the population from China. As far as we know megafauna of China are better protected nowaday,s but current efforts are needed for species-specific activities. Scientific Expedition, which could be a groundbreaking job, is a voyage that will be conducted by European biologists and conservationists in quest of dholes in this part of China. Along the Yangtze Gorges this animal is known as dog-headed fox (or kou-tou-hu), and many questions there are unanswered. Moreover, we have recommendations for further investigations, such as those based on the blanks of the map of the natural history of asiatic wild dog, which exist in this part of the world.

Small project focused on wild dog in Daba Shan would be an idyllic one, but many rivers will pass before the worthwhile project begins. We still hope for change in the near future, by implementing our own job. In a general sense, the cyjon, in China, used to be better known as chai-kou, but there remains some unknown data on their population, ecology and behavior. As for the visualization of the project, according to daily routine, the research is organized by few people who carried out their work in the field by collecting hair and excrement samples, checking camera traps etcetera. The work is hard but worthwhile. Scientists and technicians are enforced to be as best as possible with observing areas by drones, setting up cage traps and taking interviews with local hunters. After work about 3 pm, the researchers have free time for sports, watching tv, enjoying dinner and drinking some coffee. It is also time for making up for social gaps and a break for reading a good book.

Costs of taking expeditions to wild places in modern times are incommensurate with an expedition from the beginning of the 20th century. But nowadays many conditions are met to do a good field job i.e. with using innovative equipment, realizing payment for research work, doing voyage notes and heritage photographic records etcetera. Besides our immersive job onto dholes, we have time for a romantic journey in the dimensions of something like realizing the idea of great days of zoology, which never ends. Based on never-ending adventures in the wild, among the lost villages and natural history museums in the province we have hope for new findings in the form of discoveries of relic large-medium size mammals such as carnivores with small ranges that are still hiding in the wild or now-extinct ones. That branch of zoology is better known as cryptozoology. That is a difficult job and some discoveries are hard-to-find, but there are something that are most believed to be real species of mammals or amphibians. Specimens of the hypothetical extinct species in the form of skulls, fur skins etcetera are deposited in hunters’s homes or in the bazaars. My principle is, if you want to enter zoology, make a difference with a bang. And there are some discoveries in the past, which we can refresh in nowadays.

On a rainy day professor Drab smoked a cigarette and started a conversation with a young academician on prey-predator relationship in Yang-tse Biome, unknown animals of Central China and ethnozoological survey. -What a meaningful day- he said. Another day, during the daily routine, when the sun was above our heads we traveled by vague land, one of the explorers noticed tracks of dholes. Following the packs in Shennongjia, we were very enthusiastic to track those creatures.  During the afternoon excursion, we visited a small bazaar, where skin fur of dholes, takins and large species of squirrel were found. In the evening we talked about daily work in the field.

Across the prehistoric-looking Shennongjia, via the Funiu’s mystery region or Jiangxi wilderness, wild Central and East China is full of little-explored territories, where extraordinary dholes occur sympatrically with other rare carnivores. Studies on these wildlife is needed, the capacity building is scarce, but crawling. Forward-thinking in that idea of a project is a challenge, which we are filled with hope.

Submitted by Tomasz Pietrzak, Polish BSc biologist and author with support of Environment Challenges Consulting. Short notes under Creative Commons License. @gnhi-publications. ver.02_izzplvn734: