Dhole immediately disembowel their prey and feast while the animal is still alive, causing it to die from blood loss and shock, rather than the actual attack.
Dhole hunting parties are known to employ a variety of tactics to bring down their prey, including splitting into small scouting groups. While a few dholes chase the animal, others break away in a flanking movement to run ahead of their quarry and ambush it as it dashes past them.
Unlike many other canines, the dhole seldom kills by biting the throat. When successful, dholes don’t suffocate prey with a bite to the throat like a tiger or leopard, but bring their prey down and begin eating.
Smaller prey is caught by any part of the body and killed by a swift blow to the head.
Larger mammals are attacked from the rear by the flankers, as they bite out its eyes, disembowel it, and hamstring and emasculate it in their efforts to bring it down. Once brought to the ground, the prey is immediately disemboweled and the pack begins to feed on it before it’s dead. Larger prey rarely dies from the attack, itself, but from blood loss and shock as its intestines, heart, liver, and eyes are feasted upon. Sometimes, prey can trail its intestines behind itself up to 20 feet, trying to protect itself from the canines.
Sources: (Anderson, 1955; Chacon, 2000; Hance, 2015)
Image: tontantravel
