The Dhole, or Wild Dog 



colour is as follows : — Upper-parts generally rusty red, 

 varying to rufous grey, or light brownish grey, paler 

 below. In place of being uniform, the colour is varie- 

 gated by dark tips to the hairs on the back. The 

 under-fur, when present, varies in colour from light 

 brown to dull rufous on the upper-parts, and has light- 

 coloured, coarser hairs intermixed ; the longer hairs are 

 light rufous, with dark rusty red tips. The terminal 

 portion of the tail is black, very rarely with the extreme 

 tip whitish. Young animals are sooty brown through- 

 out. From the typical Malay race of the species, the 

 Indian wild dog appears distinguishable by its some- 

 what superior size and more powerful build, as well as 

 by the less bright ferruginous tint of the fur. 



The Indian wild dog has a comparatively wide 

 geographical range, extending from Eastern Tibet to 

 Cape Comorin, although unknown in Ceylon. It has 

 been recorded from Gilgit, Ladak, Spiti, Nepal, Kash- 

 mir, and the Western Himalaya generally. Its absence 

 from Ceylon suggests that it did not reach the mainland 

 of India till after the separation of that island. 



The wild dog is a ferocious and gregarious animal, 

 hunting its prey in packs, which usually comprise from 

 six to a dozen individuals, although occasionally as 

 many as a score. In the plains of India and the outer 

 ranges of the Himalaya it dwells in torests, but in 

 Tibet it must necessarily be an inhabitant of more open 

 country. The destruction it inflicts on deer, wild 

 sheep, and chiru antelope is great ; and wherever its 

 footprints are to be met with in Ladak, the sportsman 

 may as well give up hope of killing game. Even the 

 tiger and the Himalayan black bear are stated to 

 occasionally fall victims to the attack of these blood- 

 thirsty marauders, and the mangled remains of a tiger 

 have in one instance been found lying side by side 

 with the bodies of three wild dogs. In the Himalaya 

 ibex form a large proportion of the prey of these 

 animals ; and it has been stated that the serow is the 



363 



