GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
It was on July 7th that a few passersby and travellers noticed a snared Dhole on the Veeranahosahalli-Kutta Road stretch and they were pained to see the animal desperately trying to remove the wire around its neck. Dholes (Asiatic wild dogs) can occasionally be spotted along the transit road connecting Veeranahosahalli and Kutta through the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.
In fact, such sightings of dholes which usually roam in packs, are rare and one may sight them only by chance. However, the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is considered as the ultimate strongholds for the endangered species of Dholes or Asiatic wild dogs.
Troubled by the dhole’s plight, people on the Veeranahosahalli-Kutta road stretch informed the forest watchers who promised them of swift action. However, even after a month and a half, no action seemed to have been initiated and the “snared dhole was once again seen roaming on this stretch on August 27th with a big wound” on its neck and shoulder region.
Disturbed by the lack of action, local residents said the snared dhole was howling in pain and the snare wire needs to be removed immediately before some serious health problem sets in.
Speaking to Green Minute News, Veeranahosahalli Range Forest Officer Vinod Gowda said, “It seems like it is not a brake wire (steel wire), had it been that case, the Dhole wouldn’t have survived so long. It looks like a binding wire and we are looking into the issue. We have formed two teams to track the dhole. We will ensure that it is not harmed and treated properly. Since dholes live in packs, it is difficult for us to track. But we are on it.”
According to wildlife veterinary experts, any gaping wound or entry of any foreign material around its body will cause infection. And with continuous rains, the wound may become severe. As it is, with a wire stretched around its neck since July, the wire will keep tightening and become a noose. So, the snared dhole has to be captured and treated immediately.
Veeranahosahalli Range in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is a stronghold for Asiatic wild dogs. In fact, it is home to many packs of dholes and activists say that on a single day, they have sighted 7-8 packs on the Veeranahosahalli-Kutta road with the pack strength ranging from 4-5 dholes per pack to 14 individuals per pack.
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, there are fewer than 2,000 mature adults in the Indian wild and its population is decreasing due to habitat loss and disease. Due to fragmentation, its population has vanished from 60 percent of its historical range in India.
Veeranahosahalli Range serves as the northern entrance gate to Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. Further, this range changes from dry deciduous forests to a dense tropical forest and is interspersed with open grasslands. So, it is an ideal landscape to spot dholes or Asiatic wild dogs which hunt in packs and can be seen roaming freely in its natural habitat.