DNA analysis of Asiatic wild dogs scat in India reveals wild prey preference

Endangered Asiatic wild dogs in central India primarily consume wild prey, even in areas where they coexist with livestock, according to a recent study. The research, conducted by the National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Maharashtra Forest Department, analyzed the feces or scat of dholes, also known as Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

Scientists collected small samples of dhole scat during the monsoon and winter of 2022-2023 and employed DNA metabarcoding, a technique that extracts genetic material from fecal samples and cross-references it with a vast reference database encompassing tens of thousands of species. Traditional methods for analyzing carnivore diets, such as microhistology, which involves examining prey hairs found in animal feces under a microscope, are susceptible to observer bias, as different individuals can categorize hairs differently, leading to potential human bias.

Additionally, these methods can be prone to errors like misidentifying species or failing to detect certain species altogether. In contrast, the DNA barcoding approach proves more reliable, highlighting the importance of maintaining healthy wild prey populations for the conservation of the Asiatic wild dog species.