Express News Service
Bengaluru: Home to healthy tigers, leopards, and elephants, Karnataka’s wildlife has added another feather to its cap. An albino dog (wild dog) was spotted at the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). According to Karnataka Forest Department officials, this is the first sighting of this species not only in the state but also in India.
The animal was first spotted by a foot patrol team inside the sanctuary. Camera trap images also confirmed the existence of the albino hole. Until now, the department has been keeping the unique sight a secret, but it was shared into the public domain on Friday by a team of wildlife enthusiasts who discovered it near a ranch on private land bordering the CWS.
“We’ve seen it on camera several times. The sex has yet to be confirmed. We’re now closely watching the animals’ movements. It’s the first time this has been documented,” Nandesh L, Deputy Governor of Forestry, CWS, told TNIE.
He said the camera trap images were taken by management, wildlife advocates and researcher Sanjay Gopi, who conducted a study on leopards in the reserve. It was seen near Sangam and so far only one animal has been spotted.
Forest officials said there is a healthy population of small animals within the forest patch, roughly equal to cheetahs. There are cases where a package with more than 30 dholes has been seen walking around together. The number of cheetahs is about 200 in the wildlife sanctuary.
The population of dholes has not yet been evaluated. While officials were pleased with the unique sighting, there was also a sense of concern about poaching and the increase in human presence. Nandesh said protection has been increased and patrols in and out of the jungle patches. He said more staff would be deployed to the border areas to monitor the fishermen.