Dholes come to Benidorm

TERRA NATURA Benidorm has just welcomed a new pair of dholes (Cuon alpinus) to form a breeding group of the species and contribute to its survival. The Asian wild dog, otherwise known as the dhole, is a dog and fox­related animal and a seriously endangered species with fewer than 2,500 of these creatures left in the wild.

The new additions to the park are a female called Dorinka, which has come from the zoo in Budapest in Hungary, and a male called Balta, which hails from Magdeburg in Germany.

Both these dholes are two years old, which means they are now adults and can reproduce. They are not the first dholes to take up residence in the park, and will be joining Kira, a six­year­old and Lennon, a 16­year­old. The vets at Terra Natura have started putting the animals together to encourage biodiversification through the reproduction of the species.

Dholes are very sociable creatures. They tend to live in forests, woods and meadows in Central and East Asia. They form groups to hunt and can overcome prey more than 10 times their weight.