Carnivores and Connectivity: Studying Movement of an Endangered Canid in a Human-Dominated Landscape
Name of applicant
Linnea Worsøe Havmøller
Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany
Amount
DKK 1,100,000
Year
2024
Type of grant
Internationalisation Fellowships
What?
This project aims to study movement patterns, dispersal, and pack dynamics of the little studied pack-living and endangered Asiatic wild dog or dhole, a little-known species belonging to the dog-family.
Why?
Dholes have received little scientific attention but with only about 2000 animals thought to remain worldwide, more studies on their ecology are needed to develop strategies to ensure their continued survival. Throughout their distribution dholes are threatened by destruction and breakup of their habitat, making it crucial to understand if and how they can move between protected areas.
How?
Using the latest GPS tracking technology, we are now able to study where and how dholes move in time and space. Dholes will be fitted with GPS collars which will enable us to understand what obstacles dholes encounter when they try to move from one place to another. In addition, we will investigate how they interact with each other both within and between packs.