Page 61 - World of Animals - Issue #30

The dog that doesn’t bark D h ole
Dhole

Th e wh i s t li n g d o g
The whistling dog

The dhole cannot bark – but that doesn’t
hold it back from making a racket
It’s generally accepted that the domestic dog’s bark is a
learned behaviour – while wolves and other wild canines
are capable of making bark-like sounds, they are seldom
observed making these vocalisations to communicate in
the wild. But if you were to hear a wolf during a hike in the
woods, you would immediately recognise it as a wolf, and it
would sound very similar to your pet husky.

If you were to hear a dhole in the wild, however, your first
thought would probably go towards your pet parakeet.
As odd as it sounds, dholes make strange, high-pitched
noises that sound like a bird’s whistling. They are capable of
producing a huge range of sounds that could actually beat
dogs and wolves in their variety. They whine, scream, whistle,
howl, growl, squeak, sing and hum – which is why a pack of
dholes can sound like a canine orchestra.
Unfortunately, dholes are extremely rare and often fear
human company. In fact, they are among the hardest
animals to track. The few researchers devoting their time to
this shy creature often spend years hoping for a sighting,
and catching and putting a tracking collar on an individual is
nigh impossible.
How exactly the dhole came to develop these noises is
not yet known due to limited research on the rare species.
It is widely assumed that the high-pitched whistling is used
for hunting communication – in thick vegetation, where
vision is poor, the dogs whistle to one another to keep in
contact while they carry out a team attack. However, some
researchers have proposed that they also use their vocal
talents for social interaction. Dholes are very hard to identify
as they spend so much time in packs, but it may be possible
to tell individuals apart by their distinctive calls.

“They whine, whistle, howl,

growl, squeak, sing and hum; ABOVE
Dholes have one less
a pack of dholes can sound molar on each side of
their mouths than all
other members of the
like a canine orchestra” Canidae family

Dhole doppelgängers

Fox Domestic dog Wolf African wild dog Hyena
The dhole is small, lean and Though dholes have shorter The wolf is larger and A close cousin of the dhole, Despite some physical
nimble. Built for speed, its lower jaws and fewer stockier than the dhole, and the African wild dog has similarities with the dhole,
anatomy is similar to that molars than domestic dogs, shows far more aggression many behavioural traits in the hyena is actually not
of many foxes, particularly they share an endearing both within a pack and common with it, including a canine at all. It’s part of
the red fox. The fox would trait: they will wag their tails towards other packs. advanced pack hunting the Hyaenidae family in the
outrun the dhole in a sprint, in excitement when they While dhole packs have strategies and a strong Feliformia suborder – which
but the dhole would win an are reunited with their several females, wolf packs sense of community also includes big cats,
endurance race. pack members. usually only admit one. within a pack. mongooses and civets.

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