Op Sindoor planner tied to choosing terror targets in Pakistan: Who is Ram Temple CEO Jeetendra Mishra?Jeetendra Mishra accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Adampur air base in Punjab after Operation Sindoor. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 08:00:02 IST By Rahul Singh
Banks’ 'Certificate of Deposits' rates dip as FCNR flows hit $127 billionThe RBI’s scheme for attracting foreign currency deposits from NRIs has boosted banking-system liquidity, reducing banks’ need to raise funds through CD's. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026
Controversy is swirling around Rachel Cusk's new novel and its movie-star protagonist named "M". Why the fuss – and could the character be based on Natalie Portman? From Truman Capote mining the secrets of his high society friends for his writing to The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly
Did Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole really ‘expose’ him? Viral cheating and $5M claims debunkedThe viral Kayla Nicole and Travis Kelce claims raise questions about cheating, $5 million, and what Nicole actually said. Published on: Sep 3, 2026
For almost two decades, Lady Victoria Beckham has been trying to prove that she is more than simply Posh Spice. Now, her fashion and beauty business has reached a milestone many doubted it would achieve: profitability. Victoria Beckham Holdings announced an operating profit of £7
In Arunachal Pradesh, why are packs of dholes preying on mithuns?
Early this year, when 40-year-old Taum Tamut went looking for his mithuns (Bos frontalis) in the forest surrounding his village Jomlo Mobuk in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, he came across a grim sight. One of his mithuns lay dead, its carcass bearing the unmistakable marks of a dhole (Cuon alpinus) attack.
Taum, a member of the Adi tribe and a father of three young children, has around 50 mithuns and earns his livelihood by selling vegetables, broomsticks, and occasionally a mithun or two. “The dholes don't spare the mithun calves. Our calves have been eaten by the dholes. There are so many of them here,” says a distraught Taum.
Hundreds of kilometres away in Doimukh, 54-year-old Nabum Tania from the Nyishi tribe recounts a similar incident. “They (dholes) are notorious. They come in packs of 15 to 20 and take down a whole mithun,” he says. Tania lost seven of his 20 mithuns to dhole attacks since the beginning of this year. “For a poor farmer like me, it is a huge loss. Mithun is our lifeline. I sent my children to school by rearing and selling mithuns,” says Tania.
Like Taum and Tania, many farmers across Arunachal Pradesh have lost their mithuns, a semi-domesticated bovine, to dhole attacks. Since early 2025, districts such as Papum Pare, Siang, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, East Kameng, Lower Dibang Valley, and Changlang have reported a rise in dhole attacks on mithuns and other livestock.
Dholes in the state are turning to mithuns because their usual prey, like deer and wild boar, are wiped out by humans who hunt them for meat. Meanwhile, farmers who lose mithuns in these attacks are distressed as they are economically dependent on the animals. The situation is layered, linked to tradition, habitat and prey loss, and competing survival needs.
Range Forest Officer of Banderdewa Forest Division, Vijay Dupit, shares some details: “As per official records with us, more than 50 mithuns have been killed in Doimukh and in the Banderdewa division, which is the largest in Arunachal Pradesh. About 80 to 90% of this area falls under reserved forest.”
Senior Veterinary Officer from Doimukh, Dr TR Nabam Hina, estimates that the total number of mithun deaths could easily be around 70 when the entire Papumpare district is taken into account. “In addition to the 50-plus mithuns (in the forest department records), there are sporadic cases, two to six, every now and then,” he says.
Both dholes and mithuns are listed on the IUCN Red List – the dhole as “endangered” and mithun as “vulnerable”, as per the 2015 assessment.
Dholes prefer hoofed animals like deer and wild boar as their prey. In the absence of wild prey, they hunt free-ranging mithuns. Mithuns are semi-domesticated; they are not kept in enclosures like other cattle and they graze in the community forests in the villages, adding to their vulnerability.
Among tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, mithuns are symbols of status, prestige, and prosperity. Each mithun, a sacred bovine integral to tribal rituals and rural economies, is valued at Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,00,000. However, government compensation for a kill is around Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 and the slow, tedious claims process has left many farmers frustrated and helpless.
“The mithun has immense economic value. The animals act as savings for many upland communities in Arunachal Pradesh, who sell them in case of financial emergencies, for better healthcare, education and more,” says Abhishruti Sarma, a doctoral student at Ashoka University, and co-author of Changing Affinities: Ecologies of Human-Mithun Relationships in Northeast India.
Although hunting dholes is illegal, local village residents sometimes take matters into their own hands when a mithun is killed. While none of the farmers Mongabay India spoke to admitted to killing the wild dogs, video and photographic evidence suggests otherwise. “We even asked the forest department for permission to kill them, but they refused,” one farmer says on condition of anonymity.
Occasionally, other predators such as wild cats also prey on mithuns and are similarly hunted down in retaliation. Forest officials deny any confirmed cases of such killings, but the IUCN Red List notes that retaliatory deaths from livestock predation are a growing threat to dholes in North East India.
Independent researcher Priya Raghunandini Singh notes that hunting pressure on dholes is widespread across Arunachal, Mizoram, Nagaland, and other northeastern states. “Wherever dholes occur, they face threats from hunting,” she says, adding, “The recent sighting of a dhole in Karbi Anglong caused a stir, though it shouldn't have; it is their natural habitat. Their absence reflects decades of persecution and habitat loss.”
Taba Heli, joint director of the Composite Livestock Farm in Nirjuli, says dwindling prey due to rampant hunting and accelerating deforestation has driven dholes to target mithuns, especially calves.
Shifts in land use from traditional jhum cultivation to commercial cardamom and field crops, which requires clearing forests, are also altering forest dynamics. In addition, wild prey animals have been hunted, leaving predators like wild dogs and tigers with few options.
At a meeting with the deputy commissioner Jiken Bomjen, Range Forest Officer Dupit opposed villagers' demand to kill the wild dogs. “Many warned that if compensation doesn't come soon, they'll take matters into their own hands,” he says. He points out that the dholes target mithuns as they are left with limited options with the decline in wild prey population due to rampant hunting.
Dholes preying on mithun, however, is not new and has remained a pressing issue since the last two decades. Reports of the dhole and other predators attacking and preying on mithun were first received by the Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi, in November 2000 from Sagalee, Papum Pare district.
A 2003 study by the Wildlife Trust of India states that “Mithun, a semi-domestic bovid is reported to be depredated regularly by predators, in particular the wild dog and the villagers retaliate by killing the predators.”
Arunachal Pradesh is home to more than 26 indigenous communities, 80% of whom are primarily agriculturalists using shifting cultivation, and most land is community owned.
“Many farmers don't realise that deforestation and hunting directly contribute to these conflicts. There have been initiatives like surrendering illegal guns, but the impact has been limited. For many, hunting and selling bushmeat is still a source of income, so unless alternative livelihoods are offered, these issues will continue,” Heli says.
Hunting has long been a tradition in Arunachal, with wild meat fetching high prices. Conservationist Talut Siram is one among many working to change this by hosting awareness programmes and encouraging airgun surrenders. “There is a demand for wild meat like deer, which sells for Rs 30k-Rs 40k. Unemployed people with no means of income take to making money by selling bushmeat,” says Siram.
Farmer groups have petitioned the state government for immediate compensation and long-term solutions for dholes attacking their mithun, but the forest department has hesitated to intervene, citing lack of jurisdiction over community-owned grazing lands.
Chukhu Taje, chairman of the Doimukh-Gumto Circle Mithun Farmers' Club, lost four of his 11 mithuns in the last six months to dhole attacks.
“After 52 mithuns were killed by dholes, we sought the help of social media and complained to the forest department. But we have not received compensation till date. It has been four to five months, and more mithuns have died since. We are disheartened,” Taje says. He denies that villagers are hunting in the area, adding that even fishing is banned.
Speaking about action taken to address the conflict, Range Forest Officer Dupit says the forest department has been conducting awareness sessions in villages and towns, explaining the importance of wildlife and forests. However, a major underlying issue remains the widespread use of single-barrel breech loading, or SBBL, guns.
According to Tadang Tamut , president of the Jomlo Mongku Mithun Farmers' Federation in Siang, and Talut Siram, SBBL guns were originally allowed for protection against Chinese aggression and wild animals. Today, however, they are no longer needed for that purpose and are instead used for hunting.
The unregulated use of single-barrel breech loading guns, commonly used by villagers to hunt wild animals, has led to excessive hunting of prey animals, leaving no prey for the wild dogs, which then attack mithuns.
While over 2,400 airguns have been voluntarily surrendered under the state's Airgun Surrender Abhiyan, SBBL guns remain common in households. “While many have surrendered airguns, SBBL guns remain largely untouched,” says Siram, who has been advocating for government-issued surrender notices for these firearms. “SBBL gun licences are meant for self-defence, but they are now being misused for hunting. In today's context, there is no real threat to life that justifies keeping them.”
Heli says he believes there is a need for more awareness campaigns in the state against wildlife hunting but says the department should first tackle the issue of wild dogs.
“There should be a dedicated, well-identified rehabilitation area where such animals can be relocated and properly cared for, similar to the way we have tiger reserves in Pakke Valley. This approach, like the centres run by WWF, would allow the Forestry and Environment Department to handle these issues more effectively,” Heli suggests. Unless balance is restored in the ecosystem and awareness among farmers increases, these conflicts will only escalate, he adds.
This article was first published on Mongabay.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: We went looking for New Year deals on Xiaomi TVs and found some surprising value Intel’s next act in AI starts with Xeon 6+ Boney Kapoor Recalls Early Days With His Late Wife Sridevi Saif recalls being paid ₹1K with strange condition in his early Bollywood years Orry reveals he went to Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 without informing his parents 33-Year-Old Mrunal Thakur Dating 24-Year-Old Cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal Japan’s 63-Year-Old ‘Princess’ Weds 31-Year-Old ‘Prince’ 73-Year-Old BJP MLA Touches Feet Of Jyotiraditya Scindia's 31-Year-Old Son Looking like the Hamilton of old Haryana woman drowns 6-yr-old niece for looking ‘more beautiful’ than her
On August 26, Samar Bezbaruah was preparing for a regular day. He had left his home in Assam’s Nalbari district seven months earlier to work in Nepal’s 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project. That morning, he walked into the project’s tunnel with a group of 20 others to begin the day’s
1 days ago
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied claims of stealing Venezuelan oil. He stated private companies bring money and technology to develop resources. Wright emphasized fixing Venezuela's electricity sector is crucial for oil production. President Trump called the oil pact the world's biggest deal
1 days ago
Spotify will not ban AI-generated music but will focus on preventing impersonation. The company introduced AI Credits for artists to disclose AI usage in songs. New AI Persona badges will identify profiles that appear to be AI-generated. This approach aims to inform listeners and protect genuine
1 days ago
Shriya Pilgaonkar says Guilty Minds Season 2 cancellation ‘broke my heart’: ‘Rare to get a part like that’ | InterviewDuring the promotions of Haiwaan, the actor told Hindustan Times that the show remains closest to her heart even if season 2 was not comissioned by Prime Video
1 days ago
Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a bill amending the state university recruitment system. The government aims for transparent and merit-based appointments in universities. Opposition legislators and university teachers protested the proposed changes to recruitment powers
1 days ago
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, in an interview to India Today on Tuesday defended the Union government’s change in the methodology for calculating the gross domestic product amid Opposition’s allegations of data manipulation.Sanjeev Sanyal
1 days ago
Donald Trump's portrait has made its way on to a US coin - the first time a living president has appeared on American currency in a century. The US Mint launched the commemorative $1 coin with a portrait of Trump alongside the words "In God we trust", to celebrate America's 250th anniversary
1 days ago
Uber layoffs: CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to cut 10% of staff to simplify business. Read full memoUber is cutting 10% of its global workforce to flatten organisational layers, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a memo. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 07:08:17 IST By Trisha Sengupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Google Pixel 10a covers: 4 official options on Flipkart if you want style and protectionJust bought the Google Pixel 10a? These four official Google cases on Flipkart offer different
1 days ago
A little bit of hunger is good for you," says Serge Pizzorno. "Keeps you going. The Kasabian frontman is describing a typical day in his home recording studio. Snacks and phones are banned, but he might screen a film in the background (typically something by David Lynch) while he tinkers with his
2 days ago
Three killed in separate wall collapse incidents in Odisha amid heavy rainfallOdisha recorded 1,154.3 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 31 against its normal seasonal rainfall of 1,150.2 mm Updated on: Sep 2, 2026, 07:49:44 IST By Debabrata Mohanty Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
2 days ago
If you’re depositing your PF with a company, this is important. This is big news for the millions of members of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). The central government is making major changes to the EPFO’s digital system, and under EPFO 3.0
2 days ago
Commercial LPG Cylinder Price Hike September 1: The revised prices, effective from September 1, and are expected to raise the operating costs for businesses such as hotels, restaurants and cloud kitchens that rely on LPG for their day-to-day activities
2 days ago
GoPro sold for $285 million: Starman Optical to take 90% stake in camera makerGoPro is being bought by Starman Optical for $285 million as the action-camera maker faces debt, rising memory chip prices and tough Chinese competition. Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
2 days ago
Vaishnavi Patil, 26, was supposed to share the stage with Rahul Gandhi at a Congress party event for women in Pune last month. She could not address the crowd because of time constraints but was far from disappointed. “This was the first event where a political party head was talking about
2 days ago
3-day national youth athletics meet kicks off at Guru Nanak Stadium in LudhianaBeing held from September 1 to 3 under the aegis of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and organised by the Punjab Athletics Association, the opening day witnessed competition for national honours across various
2 days ago
Aug 31 (Reuters) - Anthropic said on Monday it resumed external cybersecurity testing of AI models after deploying new safeguards, following incidents last month in which Claude models accessed the internet and hacked into other systems during security evaluations
2 days ago
ICTS 2026: Centre says Delhi set to get comprehensive road-grid plan within 3-4 monthsThe Capital is set to get a comprehensive road-grid plan within months as the Centre moves to implement the city’s new master plan, a senior Union housing and urban affairs ministry official said on Tuesday
2 days ago
The John Ternus era: How Apple is redefining design beyond the Jony Ive yearsJohn Ternus has evolved the approach from the Jony Ive era on three key characteristics. Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 21:11:24 IST By Vishal Mathur Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Before John Ternus
2 days ago
Fact check: Is Dollywood closing permanently after a fire? Could Disney buy the park for $200 billion?Rumors that Dollywood burned down and is permanently closing are false. The park remains open. While, Disney takeover claims are also untrue. Published on: Sep 2, 2026
2 days ago
HONG KONG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - While Nvidia is synonymous with the AI boom, a lesser-known group of power and cooling equipment suppliers is cashing in on a global data centre construction spree as developers race to avoid infrastructure bottlenecks
2 days ago
September has begun, bringing a fresh set of money-related changes and important financial dates for taxpayers, investors and households. While the August 31 deadlines for certain ITR filers and LPG e-KYC have now passed, September has several dates to watch
2 days ago
As India moves from AI experimentation to real-world application, the ET AI Awards 2027 recognise organisations, teams and leaders driving AI innovation, business transformation and measurable impact. Across AI startups, SMEs and enterprises, the awards spotlight excellence in AI products
2 days ago
From September 1, international passengers departing from India will no longer be required to get their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters. The Bureau of Immigration has introduced the change to simplify the departure process and make immigration clearance faster and more convenient
2 days ago
Erin Piacenti’s killer posted about ‘stabbing others for no reason’ months before attackMonths before killing Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti, Pamela Cisneros shared a series of posts where she rambled about religion, the meaning of life and more Updated on: Sep 2, 2026
2 days ago
Premier League clubs have broken their all-time summer transfer record after spending reached £3.46bn. English top flight clubs had already pushed well beyond the £3bn barrier when Iliman Ndiaye's move from Everton to Manchester City on deadline day for an initial £60m took the amount spent past
2 days ago
Ariana Grande made an emotional exit on Tuesday night, as she wrapped up her Eternal Sunshine tour, and prepared to step back from public life. The singer was occasionally close to tears - most notably during One Last Time, the song that took on extra meaning as an anthem for survivors of the 2017
2 days ago
