In an extremely rare sighting, a melanistic wild dog was spotted at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, located around 350 km south-east of Mumbai.
Honorary Wildlife Warden Rohan Bhate Shah, confirming the sighting, said, ” A melanistic wild dog was spotted by Digvijay Patil, a tourist from Karad, while he was visiting a village in the buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. He captured the sighting on his mobile phone. According to forest department records, the last documented sighting of a melanistic wild dog was in the year 1936 at Gaddesal in the Coimbatore Forest Division of Tamil Nadu by RC Morris –hunter, naturalist, coffee planter.”
The wild dog that was spotted on Monday was entirely black. Details of the sighting has been shared with Snehalata Patil, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, and Assistant Conservator of Forests Amit Bhise. In order to track the moment of the wild animal, the forest staff have been instructed to install cameras in the area for further monitoring and study.
Melanism refers to a condition caused by an excess of melanin pigment, making it appear much darker, often completely black. This rare genetic variation is seen in several species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, where it manifests as black fur, feathers, or skin.
Notably, the Sahyadri region has previously documented the presence of a melanistic leopard.
