When my son walked the dogs a few days ago, he spotted a pack of Jackals with pups. It has been raining incessantly. I wasn’t quite ready to battle the leeches and the cold Himalayan rain to check them out just then. When the weather cleared, I grabbed my camera and was lucky to see the ‘Mama’ with 4-5 pups frolicking in the shrubs like dogs do. The pups looked like they were a month or two old. They seemed oblivious to my presence and I watched them as long as I could…shooting movies and stills on my digital camera. Himalayan jackals here seem rather gentle. They never made a sound; perhaps this is survival tactic! Last year, we had three of them come right up to the path near our house and sit around looking perfectly at ease. My dogs (large Gaddi mixes) nearly broke our front door trying to get at them.

But then two nights ago, I heard pup-like, heart-wrenching cries that lasted a few seconds. All went quiet after that. Had the leopard got one of them? I hope not. I never spotted them again; I hope ‘Mama’ has moved them to a safer place.

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