Thirsty chinkaras fall prey to stray dogs
new delhi — In Kerala, thirst is driving tigers to kill elephants, as this newspaper reported. In Rajasthan, Chinkaras or Indian Gazelles are falling prey to stray dogs. Again, water is at the heart of things. Beginning this summer, close to 50 Chinakras have been killed by dogs.
The Chinkara comes, as does the camel, under the Wildlife Protection Act. But the dogs seem not to pay any attention to the law.
The villagers say, stray dog population has gone up drastically. Dogs, according to them, are rounded up from cities and unloaded in villages.
But the village resources are not enough to feed them.
Chinkaras are mostly found in western Rajasthan, comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner. Officially there are over 7,000 of them. But the summer has dried up grass and water, and the Chinkaras wander into human habitation looking for water.
And the dogs swing into action. Though, a Chinkara can run fast, dogs hunt in packs; one starts where the other stops.
Besides, the Chinkaras get caught often in the fencing the villagers erect around their land and that makes it easier for the dogs to attack them.
At the Jodhpur animal rescue centre at least two wounded Chinkaras are brought in daily for treatment.
Besides Chinkaras, blackbucks and peacocks too become prey to dogs. The villagers, mostly from the Bishnoi community, believe Chinkaras are holy.
The alleged killing of a Chinkara in 1998 by Bollywood star Salman Khan had led to a great deal of controversy.
Conservationists believe poaching too contributes to the decline in the population of the Chinkaras. Road accidents are another factor. A recent Wild Life Census recorded the total number of Chinkaras as 7,762 in Rajasthan in 2015, down from 10,049 in 2013.
Among the Chinkaras, this summer must go down as the cruelest, with the number of attacks — not deaths — on some days going up as high as 40.
Global warming clearly is changing animal behaviour in India.