After decades of silence, a camera trap has captured something incredible in India’s Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape — the endangered Asiatic wild dog, also known by its scientific name Cuon alpinus, or dhole.
It’s the first confirmed sighting in Assam in 35 years, reported The Times of India.
The images were taken during a survey between February 2021 and December 2022. Researchers set up 83 camera traps across four ecological corridors: Panbari, Haldibari, Kanchanjuri, and Amguri.
After more than 15,000 days of using a camera trap, the endangered wild dog was finally photographed. This find is especially important because the species had been considered extinct from the southern zones of the landscape, including Kaziranga and the Karbi Anglong hills.
According to lead researcher Mujahid Ahamad, the animals likely disappeared from the area because of habitat loss, urban development, and a shrinking prey population. Over time, they moved to other places with better hunting conditions.
“The availability of prey in the region declined over the years,” Ahamad explained, per Times of India. “It is important that this new information is brought into the public domain, as these animals deserve equal attention in conservation discussions.”
The goal of the research was to test whether the four corridors in the landscape are still functional. The sighting shows that, at least in part, they are. This gives hope not just for the wild dogs, but for other species that rely on these paths to move and survive.
With the help of tools like camera traps, scientists can now better understand where endangered animals still live and how to protect them. These small wins in conservation can lead to bigger changes for ecosystems and for the people who depend on them.
The public response to the discovery has been overwhelmingly positive. One commenter on Reddit called the animal “truly one of the most underestimated species of large carnivore,” while another celebrated its return, saying: “India’s most successful predator is making a comeback.”
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