Dholes are classed as endangered by the IUCN, due to ongoing habitat loss, depletion of prey base, competition from other predators, persecution and possibly diseases from domestic and feral dogs.
Dholes are highly social animals, living in large clans which occasionally split up into small packs to hunt. Though fearful of humans, dhole packs are bold enough to attack large and dangerous animals such as wild boar, water buffalo and tigers.
Dholes are more social than wolves,[11] and have less of a dominance heirarchy, as seasonal scarcity of food is not a serious concern for them as it is with wolves. In this sense, they closely resemble African wild dogs in social structure.[31] Dominant dholes are hard to identify, as they do not engage in dominance displays as wolves do, though other clan members will show submissive behaviour toward them.[32] 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 packs of 3-5 animals, particularly during the spring season, as this is the optimal number for catching fawns.[33] Dholes are far less territorial than wolves, with pups from one clan often joining another without trouble once they mature sexually.[34] Clans typically number 5-12 individuals in India, though clans of 40 have been reported. In Thailand, clans rarely exceed three individuals.[7] Unlike other canids, there is no evidence of dholes using urine to mark their territories or travel routes. They may defecate in conspicuous places, though a territorial function is unlikely, as faeces are mostly deposited within the clan's territory rather than the periphery. Faeces are often deposited in what appear to be communual latrines. They do not scrape the earth with their feet as other canids do to mark their territories.[35
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