The status of wild canids (Canidae, Carnivora) in Vietnam

Abstract

Four species of wild canids are documented as occurring in Vietnam: Dhole Cuon alpinus, Eurasian Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides. Except for Dhole, all species are widely distributed globally and are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Concerned by the paucity of recent records of these species from Vietnam, especially in the context of rapidly declining mammal populations in the country in general, we undertook a review of the status of these species in Vietnam. All traceable and potentially verifiable canid records from 01 January 2002 until 31 December 2018 were collated and reviewed. The Dhole, formerly the most widely distributed of all canid species in Vietnam, and Raccoon Dog, apparently formerly widely distributed in the northern part of the country, appear to have both declined; Dhole is now either extirpated, or close to extirpation, while Raccoon Dog is of uncertain status. The Eurasian Golden Jackal does not seem to have been reliably observed in the wild since 2004, although it is possible the species may persist in some areas. Red Fox has only ever been known from a handful of records, and the current status of this species is unknown. In summary, Vietnam cannot be considered to sustain healthy populations of any of its four native wild canid species. These declines seem largely attributable to hunting of both the canids themselves and, for Dhole, their prey base, exacerbated by habitat loss. 

Southern extension of raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) range in Vietnam with comments on its conservation status in the country

“…The botanical garden within Pu Mat NP headquarters where the Raccoon dogs were recorded on camera traps is comprised of various native trees characteristic of a mixed dipterocarp forest (e.g., Dipterocarpus ssp., Acacia spp., Hopea odorata). The botanical garden is surrounded by limestone and evergreen forest; limestone forests with caves might be used as shelter sites for Raccoon dogs (Hoffmann et al, 2019).…”

“…Due to its wide range and steady population throughout most of its range, the species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Kauhala and Saeki, 2016). Although the Raccoon dog is nonnative to Europe, the species is quite well studied in terms of habitat use, dispersal, diet, social organization, genetic characterization, zoonotic diseases, and invasion impacts on native European species (Drygala, 2009 (Hoffmann et al, 2019). In this paper, we provide evidence of the species in Vietnam through a rst con rmed wild record of N. procyonoides by camera traps, rescued animals, and via illegal wildlife trade monitoring on Facebook to ll technical gaps in the species' national status and distribution.…”

Southern Extension of Raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) range in Vietnam with comments on its conservation status in the country

“…Due to its wide range and steady population throughout most of its range, the species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Kauhala and Saeki, 2016). Although the Raccoon dog is nonnative to Europe, the species is quite well studied in terms of habitat use, dispersal, diet, social organization, genetic characterization, zoonotic diseases, and invasion impacts on native European species (Drygala, 2009 (Hoffmann et al, 2019). In this paper, we provide evidence of the species in Vietnam through a rst con rmed wild record of N. procyonoides by camera traps, rescued animals, and via illegal wildlife trade monitoring on Facebook to ll technical gaps in the species' national status and distribution.…”

Understanding Human–Canid Conflict and Coexistence: Socioeconomic Correlates Underlying Local Attitude and Support Toward the Endangered Dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Bhutan

“…Similarly, dholes in Bhutan were considered pests and subjected to mass poisoning in the 1970s and 1980s (Wang and Macdonald, 2006;Thinley et al, 2011). Recently, dholes in Vietnam have been deemed close to local extinction from hunting, prey decline, and habitat destruction (Hoffmann et al, 2019). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the dhole as "endangered" based on a population estimate of 4,500-10,500 individuals, of which, only 949-2,215 are mature individuals persisting in small, isolated metapopulations (Kamler et al, 2015).…”