Wild dogs are a very mysterious species; many people may not have seen them but have at least heard some folklore stories about this creature.
Yunnan, a province located in the southern part of China, has a warm and humid climate, making it one of the provinces with the richest biodiversity in the country. It is home to many rare and strange animal species.
Located in the northwest of Yunnan province, the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve on the west bank of the Nu River is the largest nature reserve in Yunnan.
Currently, there are 582 vertebrate species in the reserve, including 20 species protected at level one, 47 species protected at level two, and countless other animal species.
Wild dogs are a very mysterious species; many people may not have seen them but have at least heard some folklore stories about this creature.
In the “Four Great Beasts” of China, wild dogs rank above wolves, tigers, and leopards, and they are always regarded as symbols of greed and cruelty.
Moreover, the Gaoligong Mountain Reserve is one of the common habitats for this species. When the reserve staff were classifying surveillance data retrieved from field infrared cameras, they discovered a pack of wild dogs with as many as eight members.
Although wild dogs can form larger groups, their numbers are increasingly dwindling, so a group of eight wild dogs is considered acceptable in modern times.
Wild dogs are a medium-sized dog species originating from Asia. They resemble wolves and domestic dogs, but upon closer observation, you can see the differences.
Compared to wolves and domestic dogs, wild dogs are slightly smaller, with shorter and narrower muzzles resembling that of a fox, making them appear more cunning than wolves and dogs.
There are 11 subspecies of wild dogs in the world, and 5 species inhabit the borders of China, namely: Chinese wild dog, Sichuan wild dog, West Asian wild dog, East Asian wild dog, and Kashmir wild dog. There are some differences in fur color among the various wild dog species, but overall, they are all reddish-brown with black mouths and tails.
Wild dogs are very social animals; in the past, they were abundant and formed large packs. A wild dog pack is usually led by the strongest and most experienced alpha dog, which holds the highest status in the group and makes decisions on significant matters.
Wild dogs are very social animals.
For example, the group of eight wild dogs found in the Gaoligong Mountain Reserve was observed to be highly organized during movement and hunting. They are very skilled at chasing prey, often using encirclement tactics.
The population of wild boars in many provinces in China has surged in recent years, causing extensive damage to crops and significant losses for farmers.
For instance, from 2014 to 2020, the city of Ankang in Shaanxi province was disturbed by wild boars, directly resulting in damage to over 120 million crops. The wild boar population has increased to the point where humans have had to form hunting teams to control their numbers.
However, many people may not know that wild dogs are the natural enemies of wild boars; wherever wild dogs are present, the wild boar population is kept in check, as they are dubbed the “enemies of wild boars.”
Wild dogs are the natural enemies of wild boars.
Despite their relatively small size, weighing only about 15-32 kg when fully grown, wild dogs live in packs and tend to hunt medium to large prey.
In the forest, wild boars are the primary prey for many large carnivores, including wild dogs, and wild boars make up a significant portion of the wild dog’s diet.
Wild dogs are agile and excellent runners; once they detect a wild boar, they will chase it fiercely under the leadership of the alpha dog. They primarily use encirclement and destruction tactics, surrounding the wild boar from all directions before lunging in to bite and drag it, with the alpha dog ultimately biting its throat.
Because wild dogs significantly impact the wild boar population and indirectly protect crops by preying on wild boars, they are also considered “beneficial animals” in agriculture.
Wild dogs prey on wild boars and indirectly protect crops.
In the canine family, wild dogs are not as famous as wolves, but for those who have encountered them, they know that wild dogs are much fiercer than wolves, which is also reflected in their feeding behavior.
After capturing their prey, the members of the wild dog pack will frantically tear into the prey, creating a gruesome sight; a wild boar can be dismembered into pieces in a very short time.
Wild dogs rank at the top of the “Four Great Beasts” in China, and in India, there are rumors that they can confront fierce Bengal tigers. Wild dogs often utilize their pack mentality to attack tigers until the tiger becomes exhausted and is killed by the wild dogs.
Wild dogs are highly adaptable animals, capable of withstanding both cold and heat. Except for some harsh regions, wild dogs can adapt to most terrain environments in China.
However, relatively speaking, wild dogs prefer to live in the mountainous southern regions. Since the 1980s, their numbers have declined significantly, and their disappearance from the forests has occurred alongside the decline of species like tigers and leopards.
Wild dogs are highly adaptable animals, capable of withstanding both cold and heat.
In the 1980s and 1990s, wild dogs disappeared rapidly, and in the years following, it became nearly impossible to find traces of wild dogs in the forests.
It wasn’t until 2013 that an infrared camera set up in the Heishuihe Nature Reserve in Sichuan captured the shadow of a wild dog on a mountain animal trail. Since then, many photographs of wild dogs have been taken in China. Thanks to ecological conservation achievements, the wild dog population has also begun to gradually recover.
