Say Aah?

Our recent trip to Tadoba yielded some fabulous wild dog encounters. The pack we came across twice had six individuals - three juveniles, a female and a pair of alpha males. This was one of the leaders. While it was a delight to watch the antics of the young ones at a distance, it was quite fascinating to see how the alphas set the pace for the group. When they relaxed, the kids knew they could play, mom knew she could rest. When they got on the move, everyone followed.

In the backdrop of such curious pack behaviour, it's easy to forget how lethal these predators can be. This pack has been on the wrong side of lady luck recently though. Maya, the Pandherpauni tigress recently killed two of this pack, probably blunting their strength in a big way. One can only hope for the young ones to grow up soon, so they can assist the elders in hunts and eventually have the pack grow. One can at least hope, eh?