Wild Dog Pack Taking Down a Deer ( Graphic )

[Krishnan]

http://krishphoto.com/gallery/d/2985-2/20080615_0174.jpg

This is at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, about 200Km South of Nagpur in Central India.

We heard alarm calls and went zipping on a new route to try and spot a tiger. Half way thru I spotted something running and we backed up the jeep to get a better view. We slowed and what we was a wild dog pack ( pack of 7)which was chasing a Chital ( Spotted Deer). The dogs caught up with the deer at that instant and, we got to watch the poor deer become dinner for the pack.

Techs: Late evening,
Nikon D2X, Centre Weighted, ISO800 , High ISO NR-OFF, 1/125th , F4, +0.3EV
Nikon 600mmVR lens, on a tripod mounted on a jeep. Almost full Frame images all.

Out of the camera jpeg, resized and added a tad contrast and sharpened for output. No other post processing.

The kill series is linked here >>> Wild Dog Hunt Series (http://krishphoto.com/wp-gallery2.php?g2_view=keyalbum.KeywordAlbum&g2_keyword=Wild+Dog+Hunt)<!-- m --><!-- m -->

Best Regards
---Krish
<!-- m -->http://krishphoto.com (http://krishphoto.com/)

[Alfred Forns]

Brutal and do feel sorry for the deer but dogs have to eat !!! Amazing action !!!!

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I agree great action. The dhole or wild dogs can only kill in this manner. It appears brutal, but a big pack can finish off a deer in no time. I wish the action would have been in more open area. Great sighting.

[Ken Watkins]

A great sighting and good photos under the circumstances.Just 3 months ago I had the privilege of viewing a kill by African Wild Dogs, gory but as you say quick. If you want to see brutal killing try Lion on Bufallo or worse still Hippo.

[D. Robert Franz]

It's nature. Great capture but as often is the case the action happens where the photography is difficutl. You did well..

[Robert Amoruso]

Yes, great work capturing the action. The branch on right mimics the antlers. The look on the deer's face and the dog's head right under the deer head's are pluses and tell the story.

[Van Hilliard]

Wonderful action and a real dose of natural reality. A great story-telling photograph.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Krishnan,
I really like these kind of story telling images but agree with Sabyasachi,,,,,wish it had happened in a more open area. The deer know it's in trouble and the expression is haunting. A little less grass would have showed the other dog under the dear with the fangs out more clearly and totally captured the rest of the story. Considering the environs......nicely captured.

[Geurt Bloem]

Ditto comment in open. I love nature in action and this is what happens every day in nature!

A question Krish, is the coloring of the wild dogs as nature has it? Why I ask is that the two dogs shown here looks similar in coloring as any domesticated dog one finds in rural areas in Africa, whiles the true African wild dog are painted in colors of the bush and very well camouflaged for their surroundings. Is it possible that these wild dogs were once domesticated dogs from the rural areas in India? Purely out of interest!

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Lovely action there Krishnan.

@ Guert: <guert>The wild dogs in Indian jungles - also known as 'Dholes' - are different from African wild dogs in many ways. They do not have camo colours/patches. This is their natural colour. This link contains photographs of Dholes & will give u a better insight about them: http://www.indianaturewatch.net/view_cat.php?tag=DHOLE

You'll notice that their ears & snout are also different from the african wild dogs.

Nice image Krishnan.</guert>