The forest was deceptively silent, as though there was no life. When all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there was a sense of chaos in the air. At first, all one could see was a flurry of spots; a herd of bachelor spotted deer, also called Chital (by the locals) whizzed past in almost absolute silence. The monsoon had arrived a full month early this year and with the rapid sprouting of vegetation everywhere, the Chital males were in excellent physical shape. They raced past, weaving between the tall teak trees, not missing a step even with the fallen logs and branches, brought down by the recent storms. There were no alarm calls from any bird or mammal.
Chital
The cause for the panic in the herd soon made an appearance- a pack of eight Indian wild dogs. In the local language, they are called Dholes, meaning “reckless and daring”. They didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry, but a few individuals were intent on pursuing the deer. Their bellies were full, but for a pack of this size, they would need at least two kills a day if they were hunting spotted deer. The dogs continued to follow part of the herd, which had separated into two groups and raced into the wall of dense undergrowth lining the road. We couldn’t follow them any longer into the jungle as it is strictly forbidden to leave the forest roads. For now, we had to abandon them, but I hoped to encounter the pack again and spend more time with these fantastic animals in the following days.
An animal scape with a spotted deer, framed by teak trees drenched in the monsoon rains.
When the first heavy drops of rain hit the hot dust, it releases a powerful odour called ‘petrichor’. After long periods of dry heat, the smell of warm sun, moist earth and rain mix into an out-worldly pleasure. The monsoon rains are a veritable gift of life and roll in silently when the soils are parched, and the waterholes are reduced to puddles of brown and green mud. For wildlife living in areas in the direct paths of the monsoons, the rains bring a sharp relief from the hot and dry summer months. The cracked soil turns into lush landscapes and green pastures, waterholes fill to capacity, while the lakes and rivers soon burst at their banks. On the day of my arrival, the significantly sized Kabini dam had a ten-metre beach around it, with some grass for the herbivores to graze on. By the time I left, 12 days later, there was no beach left and the dam’s waters almost reached the doorstep of my bungalow.
Monsoon: The South Asian monsoon system is complex, bursting across India from the Southwest in the months of May to September, bringing sudden changes from hot dry weather to cool, humid days, and retreats in the winter months of October and November. Some areas receive great amounts of rain while others experience varying rainfall.
A pair of peacocks shake out the rain from their feathers.
A Goldenback woodpecker searches for food on a termite mound whose colours are enriched by the rains.
The Nilgiri Biosphere is southern India’s largest protected area. It is part of the “Western Ghats” complex, a global biodiversity hotspot. As a result of the lush green grass that emerges once the waters recede with the onset of summer, the backwaters of the Kabini river attract an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. The Nilgiri Biosphere is among the few places that support three top predators in the same ecosystem: tiger, leopard and wild dog. The spotted deer population is abundant and very healthy, as are the prey species favoured by the dogs like the sambar deer and the common langur.
I found the dogs again the following day. Under pouring rain, the pack rested a few metres from the forest road, desperately waiting for a respite. The grass in this area was cropped so short by the deer and other herbivores, it resembled an English lawn. Yawning, stretching, shaking off water from their fur and playing with sticks were all the dogs could do in this weather. The hunt was off for the dogs, tigers, and leopards as their quarry was hidden in thick vegetation where they were protected from the incessant rain. For once, instead of only seeing a flash of orange and black zipping through the lush forest, we could observe them from close and watch them interact with family members.
A dhole shakes excess water off as the pack rests during heavy rainfall, waiting for a respite.
Dholes wait for the rain to cease so they can begin to look for their next meal.
Again, the forest was silent. While most moving predators are accompanied by a symphony of warning calls from birds and mammals, a silent rush seems to be the best chance to escape a hunting pack of wild dogs. This can be observed both in Africa and on the Indian subcontinent. In some places, the langur monkeys seem to have a different warning when they want to bring attention to a cat (leopard or tiger) or the wild dogs. For now, all that could be heard was the drumming of the rain. Even the omnipresent brain-fever bird or common hawk cuckoo, very vocal at this time of the year was silent.
The next day, the rain had stopped for a brief respite and the trees were dripping wet. The sun shone through making the raindrops glisten on every leaf and blade of grass. We came across a single dhole, running intently as if on a mission. She jumped across a ditch and onwards towards teak trees, flushing out several herds of spotted deer. The deer moved swiftly and silently between the trees and fallen logs. The whites under their tails made a sharp contrast in the lush green forest as they sprinted away from the lone dhole. Although she was alone, she didn’t give up the hunt and pursued them for over a kilometre. She seemed to be trying to create a panic and cause a fawn to break off; a prey that size could be taken down by her alone. To catch an adult deer, she would need the rest of the pack. The dhole and deer continued on past the lantana bushes into the deep forest where we could not follow. Later, the dhole was spotted running along the road, possibly trying to find another herd of deer to pursue. Where the rest of the pack was, was anybody’s guess.
A dhole gives a bachelor herd of spotted deer chase.
A pair of Indian Gaur protect their young as alarm calls sound; a pack of wild dogs is moving in the area and the young calf would be an opportunistic prey.
Dholes have had a bad reputation with local people; their killing methods are considered to be cruel.
The challenges wild dogs face in Southeast Asia
For as long as anyone can remember, Dholes have had a bad reputation with local people; their killing methods are considered to be cruel. Despite their highly organised hunts and speed, they lack the physical strength to make a clean kill by suffocation like leopards or tigers. Large packs can easily take down a sambar deer or a gaur, a prey many times their weight and size. They will even carry on a hunt when a deer takes refuge in a pond or lake; once their prey is surrounded, they will take it down by holding its head underwater. A brutal but effective method, that will ensure that the prey is dead before they begin to feed on it. This behaviour has been documented by wildlife film-makers as well as researchers studying the species using camera-traps.
During British Colonial Rule, Dholes were regarded as vermin and hunted indiscriminately until they were almost wiped out, disappearing from much of their range in India.
In 2008, the species was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There are few population estimates as studying this elusive species in India’s dense jungles is challenging. The many threats that menace the future of the species still exist today. Loss of prey base, persecution due to a general dislike for the species, disease (dholes can contract rabies, canine distemper and other viruses transmitted by stray dogs wandering into protected areas) and competition with leopards and tigers for the limited prey base. The dholes and the local tribals living in the forests of southern India, like the Kaadu-Kuruba, have a difficult relationship. In the past, when the dogs made a kill, the tribal people would chase the dogs away and steal their kills. This was an easier method than setting up traps in the forest to obtain meat for their kitchens and they didn’t feel bad about stealing the dogs’ kills because they were regarded as brutal beasts. As in many areas, the dogs have taken to interrupt a hunt as soon as they detected any human presence; observing a kill can be difficult.
Just like their African cousins, dholes do not bark; they have a complex communication system consisting of melodious whistles, chatterings, growls and yelps (1, 2, 3). Their fluffy tail resembles a feather duster and is also used to communicate between family members. Alpha individuals are usually difficult to distinguish but in this pack, the alpha female could be identified as she was heavily pregnant (the Alphas can be determined by their position in the pack, in this case leading the group and the way the other members of the pack interact with them, for example, nuzzling, body rubbing, and submissive behaviour). I hope to see the new litter in the coming months, ready to rejuvenate life into the pack. Although, I did not see a successful hunt this time, witnessing this transfer of life is a powerful and emotional moment, not to be taken lightly.
A pack of dholes gets ready for a hunt with the alpha female at the head of the pack.
A Malabar parakeet takes off after having browsed on a parthenium plant. Parthenium is a highly invasive plant species, and like the Lantana is choking the forests of Southern India.
Parthenium hysterophorus is an invasive species of weed that first came to India mixed in with shipments of cereals and grains. Native to North America and parts of Central and South America, this highly successful weed, today holds much of the Indian sub-continent in a chokehold. Highly toxic, almost nothing can use the plant except for the Plum-headed parakeets which have been recorded plucking branches of the plant and flying off. Native beetles from Mexico have been introduced to control the plant, but with each individual capable of producing 25,000 seeds, the spread of this invasive species has been widespread. Another invasive species, choking the protected areas where the wild dogs live, is the Lantana. Also from South America, they were introduced as ornamental plants and quickly took over the native vegetation. In the forests of southern India, herbivores do not eat them but use them to shelter against rain and predators. Some passerine birds like the Scaly-breasted munia have been observed eating the fruit but the leaves remain toxic for the majority of wildlife (except butterflies).
Author
Malini Pittet began her career as a wildlife biologist, specializing in large felids conservation (leopards, jaguars, ocelots) working in the Amazon, Yemen, India, etc. Although she loved it, she was increasingly frustrated that important information was being buried in scientific papers without concrete action and change on the ground. She was also looking for ways to spread awareness about conservation; the success stories as well as the plights of wildlife worldwide. She decided to change her career and focus on wildlife photojournalism and travel consultation in an attempt to bridge this gap. Photojournalism gives her the opportunity to work with projects that are making a difference for endangered species. Travel consultation has given her the opportunity to bring people to places they would otherwise never choose to travel to.
Editor
Roopsha Sengupta is the Editor-in-Chief at ClubSciWri. She did her Ph.D. at the Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna and postdoctoral research at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, specializing in the field of Epigenetics. During her research, she was involved in many exciting discoveries and had the privilege of working and collaborating with a number of inspiring scientists. As an editor for ClubSciWri, she loves working on a wide range of topics and presenting articles coherently, while nudging authors to give their best.
Photo credit for all images in the article: Malini Pittet.
Blog design: Roopsha Sengupta
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