Back to the Wild
Dogs were and are men's best friend. They have played vital roles in our lives including their service during the wars and rehabilitation and more so as a companion. According to Wayne, 2008, dogs were domesticated between 18, 800 and 32,100 years ago. He believes that it took place in Europe or western Serbia. Since then dogs have played a pivotal part in human life. It has become the cutest and the friendliest pet humans can ever have.
Although Bhutanese are not very fond of keeping intimate pets like westerners, we also cant think of harming them. As Buddhist, we feed them though they are not our pet. People feed stray dogs and in return the dogs just lingers around. There is a dzongkha proverb which says, "If you want to give alms, give to the dogs, for they do not eat grass" (Roughly translated)
But, lately, dogs are going back to where they came from. They are in transition in becoming wild animals again and nearing their close cousins in the wild. Packs of dogs are seen in the jungles, wildly barking as if communicating to each other about their target.
I may be wrong with my limited raw knowledge but I personally feel the move very disturbing. Since their domestication, the Eco system has healed and adapted without them. Now that they are moving back to the wild, the Eco system may need another thousand years to adapt and may fail.
One reason for the move could be lack of food during the COVID-19 pandemic because the numbers of dogs and packs moving back to the wild have been increasing since the people restricted their movements and institutions were closed, which were their primary food source.
Since I frequent the Trongsa-Bumthang PNH, I have seen the increasing numbers of dogs at Yotongla, few kilometres before reaching Geytsa (from Trongsa), few kilometres from Nangar, towards Chamkhar, Kekila and Garpang. Dogs are also found in Dochula, and Memelakha in Thimphu. What could be the reason for the dogs to go back to the wild yet not very far from the human settlement. I think they are in transition and piloting their move, ever ready to come back to their best friends if the plan fails. The other reason could be the location of landfills at these places. The landfills provide food but they are hazardous and poses risk to the dogs and humans too.
Or are our local breeds moving back to the wild since their places are taken by the exotic imported breeds which we consider better and more intelligent? This is just my wild guess, but we prefer the imported breeds than our local ones.
Are dogs trying to move away from the nuisance of humans while they get free food from the travelers? Only a detailed research shall tell us.
Talking to some nomads, packs of dogs are also found very deep in the forest and are seen hunting small wild animals. They also complained of loosing calves to these dogs.
Whatever the reasons may be, I hope it doesn't disturb the Eco system and our system too. I am sure the time is never early to study on their transition back to the wild. We complain of the nuisance created by these stray dogs but now life seems uncomfortable in their absence.
Hoping to hear soon.
Although Bhutanese are not very fond of keeping intimate pets like westerners, we also cant think of harming them. As Buddhist, we feed them though they are not our pet. People feed stray dogs and in return the dogs just lingers around. There is a dzongkha proverb which says, "If you want to give alms, give to the dogs, for they do not eat grass" (Roughly translated)
But, lately, dogs are going back to where they came from. They are in transition in becoming wild animals again and nearing their close cousins in the wild. Packs of dogs are seen in the jungles, wildly barking as if communicating to each other about their target.
I may be wrong with my limited raw knowledge but I personally feel the move very disturbing. Since their domestication, the Eco system has healed and adapted without them. Now that they are moving back to the wild, the Eco system may need another thousand years to adapt and may fail.
One reason for the move could be lack of food during the COVID-19 pandemic because the numbers of dogs and packs moving back to the wild have been increasing since the people restricted their movements and institutions were closed, which were their primary food source.
Since I frequent the Trongsa-Bumthang PNH, I have seen the increasing numbers of dogs at Yotongla, few kilometres before reaching Geytsa (from Trongsa), few kilometres from Nangar, towards Chamkhar, Kekila and Garpang. Dogs are also found in Dochula, and Memelakha in Thimphu. What could be the reason for the dogs to go back to the wild yet not very far from the human settlement. I think they are in transition and piloting their move, ever ready to come back to their best friends if the plan fails. The other reason could be the location of landfills at these places. The landfills provide food but they are hazardous and poses risk to the dogs and humans too.
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| A pack enjoying their afternoon nap near a lhakhang. |
Are dogs trying to move away from the nuisance of humans while they get free food from the travelers? Only a detailed research shall tell us.
Talking to some nomads, packs of dogs are also found very deep in the forest and are seen hunting small wild animals. They also complained of loosing calves to these dogs.
Whatever the reasons may be, I hope it doesn't disturb the Eco system and our system too. I am sure the time is never early to study on their transition back to the wild. We complain of the nuisance created by these stray dogs but now life seems uncomfortable in their absence.
Hoping to hear soon.
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