Bhubaneshwar, July 15 -- Authorities in Odisha's Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary have sighted a pair of endangered wild dogs amid a dwindling population of these schedule-1 protected animals.
Deforestation-induced habitat loss, rapid urbanisation, and dwindling prey population base have led to the fall in the population of these animals.
After more than a decade, a wild dog first re-appeared in Debrigarh Sanctuary during winters of 2023, but its number remained 'one' continuously until a pair of Wild dog (a male & a female) was captured on camera traps on 14 July, said Anshu Pragyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Hirakud wildlife division.
The sighting assumes significance as wild dogs locally called dhole are rarely seen in the region. It...