Guwahati, July 23 -- Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam's Udalguri district has recorded direct and confirmed sightings of wild dogs (Cuon alpinus), commonly known as dholes, marking a significant conservation milestone and indicating improved ecological connectivity in the sanctuary's grassland-forest landscape.

The confirmation is based on field observations and camera-trap evidence from the sanctuary, which was established in 1995 in the Bhutan foothills and covers 11.25 sq km (1,125 hectares).

Barnadi is regarded as a critical link in the region's grassland ecosystem, where the pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) was rediscovered in the 1980s.

The sanctuary's grassland-forest mosaic supports several threatened and endemic species.

The c...