Photo by Dr. Anish Andheria
“Sir, look here!” cried my field assistant, pointing through the tall grass. We were in the Sukdi beat of the Bor Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, undertaking a data collection survey on carnivores and had just settled down for a short break. I looked up and saw three adult wild dogs, also called dholes, barely 20 feet away from us. They were as startled by our presence as we were by theirs and one of them bared its teeth at us. I was surprised to see a wild dog be aggressive towards a human and stood up slowly so that they could see me clearly. As soon as I did so, the trio darted away. Watching them leave, I spotted a pup behind them and realised that that was why they had been so anxious. Although brief, it was a wonderful encounter with the whistling hunters of Bor.
Wild Dogs or Dholes emit a series of yelps in a very high pitch, resembling the whistling sound giving them the name – Whistling Hunters.
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About the Author: Milind Pariwakam is a wildlife biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Trust and a member of the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group.
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Disclaimer: The author is associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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