India, May 31 -- Social media is rife with videos of children, women and aged people being attacked by stray dogs. Humans have various means to ward off such attacks by throwing stones, using sticks or simply intimidating the dog by collecting together. But what do ground-nesting birds do when dogs set upon their flightless chicks - they have no such means or weapons at their disposal except parental fidelity, guile and courage.

On May 24, 2026, a grim asymmetric battle was waged by a pair of red-wattled lapwings to defend their chick against a marauding dog at the Sukhna lake's shores. The incident was witnessed and captured vividly on camera by Dr Rajiv Narwal, who holds charge of the Kalka sub-divisional civil hospital and is a passio...