Pack of stray dogs that have taken to hunting in the Shivalik forest ranges are wreaking a havoc on wildlife. These dogs recently killed a large numbers of wild animals, including sambar, blue bulls, barking deer, monitor lizards and mongoose etc in the forest ranges of Ropar, Garhshankar and Hoshiarpur.

Nikhil Sanger, president, Wildlife Conservation Society, has captured many wild animals killed by stray dogs on camera. Talking to The Tribune, he said a group of about 10 stray dogs had taken to hunting wild animals in areas adjoining Ropar. The pack chases its prey like groups of wolves for a long distance. They generally separate the cubs from their mothers and kill them.

The dogs generally catch hold of their prey from the back and pull them down. The injury marks on the killed animals showed they had been killed by dogs.

In winters there is a scarcity of water in forest. Animals generally come to water holes. The dogs have made these water holes their favourite hunting spots.

Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa, honorary wildlife warden, Hoshiarpur, has also reported incidents of killing of wild animals by stray dogs. He said these dogs normally used to feed on places where dead animals were dumped in villages. However, now the practice of dumping dead animals on the outskirts of villages had reduced. The hungry stray dogs had, therefore, taken to hunting.

Forest officials, however, expressed doubts that stray dogs had taken to hunting wild animals. They suspect it to be the handiwork of poachers. They alleged that a few poachers had trained their dogs to hunt in the forest areas. Since no case of wild life act violation can be made against the dogs, the poachers get away if caught while poaching by stating that it was the dogs who killed the animals.

Animal activists, including Sonika Mann, vice-president, Wildlife Conservation Society, said officials of the Department of Forest should check the menace of stray dogs venturing into forest areas. Stray dogs are vermin and not protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. The government should cull these dogs to protect the meager wildlife left in the forests of Punjab, she said.