Dhole delight! New species arrives at Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo has announced the arrival of a new species – dholes. It is the first time in the history of the zoo that it has had resident dholes, and a first for Ireland.

The five male dholes came to Dublin Zoo from Tierpark Berlin a number of days ago and are settling into their new habitat well.

The dhole habitat is at the Asian Forests, close to the Asian lion habitat.

The pack consists of a pair of six-year-old brothers, a pair of three-year-old brothers and a five-year-old half-brother.

Also known as the Asiatic wild dogs, dholes were once widespread throughout central, south and southeast Asia.

Now, scattered populations of dholes live in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.

Dholes are classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, mainly due to habitat loss, depletion of prey and disease transfer from domestic dogs.

Ciaran McMahon, team leader at Dublin Zoo, said: “We are delighted to welcome dholes to Dublin Zoo. It’s an exciting time for all the team. We’re really looking forward for visitors to see the dholes and to get the opportunity to learn more about this type of wild dog.

“It is estimated that there are between 4,500 and 10,000 dholes left in the wild and numbers are declining, so having them at Dublin Zoo as part of a global effort to preserve the species, raise awareness and educate the public on the threats they face in the wild is hugely important.”