Endangered dholes spotted in NW China reserve

Nine dholes, or Asiatic wild dogs, have been caught on camera in a nature reserve in northwest China's Gansu Province, the reserve said Thursday.

Infrared cameras in Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve on the north margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau photographed the animals, which are rarely seen in the inland province. Researchers also found various traces of the wild dog, such as footprints and droppings, according to the reserve.

The photographs and evidence found will prove to be important material for the research and protection of the species since not much is known about dholes that live across the plateau regions.

Dholes are highly social animals that live in central, south and southeast Asia. The species, which mainly live in south China's mountains and hills, are under second-class state protection. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also included the animal on the Red List of Threatened Species. Endi