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Debrigarh Recorded Its First Confirmed Dhole Breeding After the Species’ Return

Wild dhole standing in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India
Conservation · Population & status

Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha, India has recorded its first confirmed breeding of dholes (Cuon alpinus) following the species’ return to the landscape. Forest officials reported in May 2026 that camera traps had recorded a female moving with two pups estimated to be three to four months old.

A lone dhole was first recorded in the sanctuary in 2023 after the species had been absent from the landscape for years. A pair was later observed together in July 2025, and officials followed their movements across the sanctuary. By early 2026, the pair’s activity had become concentrated in a smaller part of the core area, which officials interpreted as a possible sign of breeding.

The breeding was notable because the pair appeared to rear the pups without the support of a larger pack. Dholes are highly social canids and normally rely on pack structure during breeding and pup rearing, so officials described the observation as unusual.

After the pups were confirmed, the sanctuary deployed 26 camera traps around the breeding area and restricted disturbance near waterbodies and salt licks. Officials also recorded a deer kill near the dholes’ resting area. Hirakud Wildlife Division described the event as a positive sign and attributed it to secure habitat, prey availability and protection inside the sanctuary. Officials presented the pups as a possible early foundation for a future pack, rather than evidence that a stable breeding population is already established.

Sources and image credit

  1. Pani, M. B. (2026, May 17). Predator reborn in Odisha's Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary. The New Indian Express.Established local news report based on direct statements from Hirakud Wildlife Division officials. It reports the first confirmed dhole breeding in Debrigarh, with a female and two pups recorded by camera traps and 26 cameras deployed for follow-up monitoring.
  2. Ramanath, R. (2026, May 17). Endangered Indian dhole spotted with two pups at Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary. The Times of India.Supporting report quoting the Divisional Forest Officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) on the confirmed breeding and subsequent monitoring measures.

Image: A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF / Wikimedia Commons — wild dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka, India, photographed 16 July 2013; representative species image, not one of the Debrigarh animals; cropped to 16:9 · CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Source

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