Rare Dholes Spotted in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary | 19 Dec 2025

Why in News? 

Rare wild dogs called Dholes were spotted for the first time in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary in Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh. 

Key Points

• Event: Two rare Dholes were officially sighted in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary by the Dewas forest department.  
• IUCN Status: The Dhole (Cuon alpinus) also called the Asiatic wild dog, is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 
• WPA Status: It is listed under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 . 
• Natural Habitat: Dense forests, deciduous forests, evergreen forests, and grassland–forest mosaics along with high mountain steppes regions. 
• Distribution: Found in Western Ghats, Central Indian forests, Eastern Ghats, and parts of the Himalayan foothills. 
• Significance: It’s the first documented appearance of these elusive predators in this sanctuary, exciting forest officials and wildlife enthusiasts.  
• Wildlife Indicator: Dholes are effective pack hunters that can even challenge larger predators, indicating a healthy and balanced ecosystem where they appear.  
• Next Steps: Forest officials plan surveys with camera traps and patrol units to check whether the sighted Dholes are part of a larger pack or just transient visitors.  
• Regional Context: Dholes are known in other Madhya Pradesh parks like Pench, Bandhavgarh, and Kanha, but their presence near Indore-Ujjain region is very rare.