Umaria: The sighting of a horde of golden dogs in and around Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve these days has invited curiosity from authorities and fear among locals. These canines are known for their ferocious nature and locals draw their parallels with tigers.
Although Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is famous in the country for its tigers, the movements of golden dogs triggered fear among people. The sighting has also sparked fear among other wild animals in the vicinity.
What is a golden dog?
The golden dog is a very dangerous species of jungle dog. PK Verma, deputy director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, said, "When the field staff was patrolling in Panpatha beat of Pataur area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, a horde of golden dogs was seen drinking water in the pond. It is one of the rare wild animals and is also known as wild dogs. Its sighting in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is great for the ecosystem here.''
Canines communicate through whistling
According to Verma, these animals do not bark but whistle to communicate with each other in the pack. "They also communicate by whistling from the same place for hunting. This is what makes them special," Verma said.
He explained that this rare wild animal displays rare ferocity in its behaviour. Most carnivorous wild animals like tigers and cheetahs, when they hunt, start eating the prey only after killing it completely. Golden dogs on the other hand eat the prey while it is still alive. It chases the prey, overpowers and eats its body especially its legs, waist and the back of the body.
Verma continued, ''These dogs are dangerous due to their hunting instinct, and even tiger, who is the king of the jungle, is afraid of them. It is said about them that they can smell the tigress and when they find her cubs, they take them away. Even small tigers avoid coming in front of them because they attack in a pack. However, they cannot do anything to a big tiger. ''
Where are the most number of golden dogs found in Madhya Pradesh?
Verma said that the number of these wild dogs has declined. Their number is less in Bandhavgarh, but in Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh, their number is found to be good as compared to here.
