Wild Dog at Kanha

Last season I saw a lone dhole or wild dog at Kanha Ghat and then near Indri Road. In my subsequent visits this animal was not sighted my be nor reported by anyone. Wild Dog are secondary carnivores and an important functionary of our jungle ecosystems.    

Being pack hunters they are generally found in pack of 12 to 14 sometimes larger. Hence the sight of single animal was a cause of worry. I was told that there was a pair that had probably stayed put for mating and breeding. 

Dhole Image by Dharmagiri

But the pack is always together, so was there a tragedy. A deadly disease could wipe of large populations of wild animals. This could have happened to wild dogs of Kanha. Last I heard of them was of their being seen on the Banzar River bridge on the way to Courtyard House on the Baihar Road.    

This year I sighted six dholes in the Mukki Zone the sight was exhilarating but I was expecting greater numbers. We missed sightings of wild dogs recently near Shravan Tal at Kanha Zone. I have no idea as of the moment of the population of this wild canid, hope it is stable. Being diurnal predators they are known to migrate locally.