Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) and Shillim Institute have documented an expansion in the range of the endangered Asiatic wild dog, also known as the dhole, into the northern Sahyadri range. Recent evidence, including photographs, confirms the presence of these elusive predators in the Pawana Dam catchment area in Pune.

This discovery suggests a positive trend in the species’ distribution, indicating that wild dogs are gradually reclaiming parts of their historical range in the region. It may be noted that Pawana reservoir, formed as a result of a dam built across the Pawana river in 1973, is a popular tourist spot in Maharashtra’s Pune district. Situated within the northern Western Ghats, the reservoir’s catchment area encompasses a complex landscape with multiple land uses. Earlier this year, WCT had initiated a preliminary eco-hydrological assessment of the Pawana catchment landscape with support from the Shillim Institute.