A Dhole (Cuon alpinus) was sighted in Panshet in Pune district around 2 pm on September 6, marking the first time researchers obtained photographic evidence of the endangered Asiatic wild dog’s presence in the region. The sighting was made during a field survey by Dr Sonali Shinde, head of the department of biodiversity and environmental science, Maharashtra Education Society’s Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, along with students and Chinmay Sonawane, field researcher at the Ecological Society, Pune. The study will be published soon as a short note.

On their return journey to the city, the team spotted a single individual along the forested slopes. “On spotting each other, both we and the dhole froze, and it didn’t even occur to us to capture the moment,” a team member recalled. Another member said, “Almost immediately, as it moved to hide behind the trees, we managed to take a photograph. Before disappearing into the forest, it looked back at us, as if saying goodbye,” said another team member.