THE DHOLE
The dhole /doʊl/ (also called Asian wild dog, red dog or mountain wolf) can be confused with the fox, and this is one of the main reasons for its extinction. It attracts people's attention with its fluffy fur, which has a beautiful bright red colour. It is worth noting that its tail is slightly different from the fox's, as dholes have a tail with a black tip.
The habitat of this species is the Far East, China and Mongolia.
The dhole is listed in the IUCN Red List with the status of endangered species, as well as in the Red Book of Russia. In Russia, this rare predator was taken under full protection from the moment it was listed in the Red Book of the former USSR.
It is necessary to identify areas where the dhole is still preserved, with the subsequent organization of wildlife reserves here in order to protect this predator and the wild cloven-hoofed animals that it feeds on. It is desirable to reduce the number of grey wolves.
The dhole is a rather large animal with a body length of 76–110 cm, a tail length of 45–50 cm and weight of 17–21 kg. It has a combination of features of the wolf, the fox and the jackal. The dhole differs from the ordinary wolf in colour, fluffy hair and a longer tail that almost reaches the ground. Dholes have a shortened, pointed muzzle. Their ears are large, upright. The reproduction of these wolves is rather poorly studied, due to the small population of the species and the fact that they cannot be tamed at all. But it is a known fact that small wolf cubs appear most often in January-February. Females of this species give birth to 5 to 9 cubs.
