Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting an endangered Asian wild dog that is the only species in its genus: the dhole.

The dhole is a canid native to Central, South, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. In Central Asia, they primarily inhabit mountainous areas, whereas in India, Myanmar, China and Indonesia they prefer forested areas in alpine regions. These dogs like open spaces and can often be found on jungle roads, riverbeds and clearings. The dhole is a highly social animal, living in large clans of up to 40 individuals but usually consisting of only 12. They live in clans rather than packs, as the latter term refers to a group of animals that always hunt together. In contrast, dhole clans frequently break into small groups of 3 to 5 animals to hunt. Watch the video to learn more about this species!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel and hit the bell icon to make sure you never miss an episode of Candid Animal Cam!

Banner photo by Kalyanvarma via Wikimedia commons

Romi Castagnino is Mongabay’s bilingual writer. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @romi_castagnino