Context: Recently, a new study has reported that Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the endangered dhole in India.

About Dhole

• Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems.
• Besides the tiger, the dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under the IUCN’s ‘ENDANGERED’ category.
• It is also known as the Asiatic wild dog, red dog and whistling dog.
• They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from Siberia in the north to the Malay Peninsula in the south.
• Dholes occupy a wide variety of climates and habitats, including dense forests, scrub, steppes and alpine regions.
• According to the study, the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Goa will need to increase financial investments in the forest and wildlife sectors.