Rare Black Dog Spotted In Maharashtra – What Makes It So Unique

News18

2 days ago

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The rare melanistic dhole was spotted by a tourist named Digvijay Patil who was out exploring the area.
In a stunning and rare sighting at Maharashtra's Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, a tourist exploring the forest's buffer zone came across a black wild dog, a melanistic dhole, and managed to capture it on camera. This is believed to be the first such sighting in India in nearly 90 years.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the wild dog was spotted by Digvijay Patil, a nature enthusiast, who was out exploring the area. Patil recorded videos and photos of the animal and informed honorary wildlife warden Rohan Bhate.
Forest officials confirmed the sighting and have now set up cameras in the area to monitor any future appearances.
A video of the rare black dhole, obtained by journalist Netwa Dhuri and shared online, is now gaining widespread attention online. The last known sighting of a melanistic dhole in India was in 1936 near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. That one was recorded by British naturalist R.C. Morris.
What Makes Dholes Unique?
Dholes, also called Asiatic wild dogs, are very different from the dogs we are used to. Their features are a mix of grey wolves and red foxes but with a long back and slender limbs like a cat.
They don't bark or howl like regular dogs or wolves. Instead, they whistle, the reason they are often called whistling dogs. They can also make other sounds like whines, chatters, growls and yelps.
Dholes live and hunt in packs. These usually have 5 to 12 members, but in some areas, the groups can grow to 15 or even 20. They prey on animals like sambar deer, gaur, wild boar, water buffaloes and goats. Dholes eat some of the same animals as tigers and leopards. But they usually avoid competing with them by choosing different prey.
Why Is This Dhole Black?
Most dholes have a reddish-brown coat. But in very rare cases, a condition called melanism causes some animals to turn completely black. This happens because of an excess of melanin, the pigment responsible for colouring skin and fur.
It is a genetic condition, passed on through a recessive gene. And while melanism can show up in many species like leopards and squirrels, it is extremely rare in dholes. That's what makes this sighting so special.
What Does This Rare Sighting Mean?
The report citing forest officials called this sighting a strong sign of the region's healthy ecosystem. It usually means the environment is healthy and stable where even rare genetic variants can survive.