After the lockdown, some species of animals can be seen in our cities roaming around freely, some of them have been noted decades later of the recent record. For the first time after 50 years, the Whistle Dogs have been a prominent sight in Surat, Gujarat.
Rare Asian wild dogs have been spotted in the Wansda National Park on the Sahdri Range. The dhole (Cuon alpinus), known as the Whistle Dogs, was last seen in the 1970s, according to the media reports.
The Whistle Dog was named for Dhole’s because of its unique breeding call. It is the size of a German shepherd dog but looks like a long-legged jackal. Dhole has short legs and tail, and has a reddish brown hue.
“The number of dogs that are left is still unknown. For the arrival of whistle dogs to be in good condition, the forest must be full of prey and with minimal human interference. First sighting was reported by a local on February 20th at Border Mohamed Jat, a deputy for the Southern Times”. Forest conservationist Dinesh Rabari was quoted. This species can be found in the south of the river Ganga, in the western and eastern highlands and in the northeastern states.
“We suspected that there was an Asian dog. The corpse of a deer and how it was removed reinforced our suspicions. When we went to the spot, we found a dog that was eating a corpse. Then we set up camera traps to monitor it. The first pictures of Dholes were captured by Kevdi”. Added Rabari.
Dholes are incredibly athletic. They are fast runners, great swimmers and attractive jumpers. These skills are very important for them when hunting for their pray. So they are capable of hunting its prey within minutes. Their diet mostly consists of deer, wild pigs, buffalos and wild goats.
This species has been designated as an endangered species under Schedule 2 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Cover Photo – Times of India
References
Dhole. (n.d.). Retrieved from Animals & Planets: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/dhole
Whistling Dog Spotted in Gujarat’s Surat for the First Time in 50 Years. (2020, 05 24). Retrieved from NEWS18 :
