Play the dhole excited call.
Acoustic Communication in Dholes
The Behavioral Biology Division of the San Diego Zoo's CRES has begun a detailed study aimed at increasing our understanding of vocal communication in dhole dogs. The dhole, or Asiatic wild dog Cuon alpinus, is also known as the “whistling hunter” because of the extensive vocal repertoire used in communication.
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park has the only breeding dholes in managed care in the United States as part of its long-range conservation science efforts. Dholes live in a wide variety of habitats in central and east Asia, but seem especially adapted to scrub and dense forest. They live in complex social groups which seem to use a variety of vocal calls to coordinate their social activity in thicketed areas. Of special interest is the Dhole excited vocal call which is uttered during times of intense social activity. However, the exact functional significance of the call remains to be determined. One major component of sensory ecology is trying to interpret what various sounds might mean by recording the contexts in which the sound is uttered.
