The Whistling Hunters

Field Studies of the Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon Alpinus)

By Michael W. Fox

Subjects: Animal Behavior, Religion
Series: SUNY series on Animal Behavior
Paperback : 9780873958431, 150 pages, June 1985
Hardcover : 9780873958424, 150 pages, June 1985

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Table of contents

Foreword

Introduction

1. The First Days

2. Jungle Senses

3. The Whistling Dog's World

4. The Whistling Dog

5. The Whistling Hunter

6. Family Life and Communication

7. Politics, People, and the Jungle

8. The Place and Value of the Whistling Dog

9. Pariah Dogs of the City and Jungle

10. Men, Nature, Consciousness and Conservation

References

Index

Description

The whistling dog, or dhole, of India is a little-known, distant cousin of our domestic dog. Highly intelligent, wary of man, and elusive as a jungle predator, this rare and beautiful creature is one of the most difficult animals to study. Its very nature defies the patience and skill of the most dedicated naturalist. Yet knowledge about its habits and a more widespread understanding and appreciation of this species are essential for its protection and continued survival. For, like so much of the world's wildlife today, the dhole is a species threatened with extinction.

The first in-depth field study of the whistling dog, The Whistling Hunters examines the dhole in the animal's environment. The book is based on the author's field studies and the observations of other naturalists. It presents all the facts currently known about the species, as it makes a passionate plea for conservation and the reevaluation of our land-use patterns.

The book is also an attempt to understand the essence of wilderness since it, too, like the whistling dog, is an endangered species.

Michael W. Fox is Director of the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems, Humane Society of the United States. Formerly Professor of Psychology at Washington University, St. Louis, he holds higher degrees in veterinary medicine, psychology, and animal behavior, having earned the B.Vet. Med., Ph.D., and D.Sc. degrees from the University of London. A Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, England, Dr. Fox has published numerous technical and non-technical books on the subject of animal behavior.