Karuppi, a dog with a black coat, a lean body, an aquiline snout and a curved sickle-like tail in the film Pariyerum Perumal BA BL , is the envy of dog lovers.
Though it has a close resemblance to a Chippiparai, a breed known for its running and hunting skills, Karuppi is not a pure-breed. “It is a cross-breed,” said Mari Selvaraj, director of the film. It is not clear whether he chose the dog because it suited the storyline.
“In southern districts we call it iru piravi dog or double blood because it is a cross-breed. A few pups inherit the height of the Chippiparai and build of the local dogs. They are good runners and chasers,” said R. Sivasiddhu, an expert on local breeds. He said most of Chippiparai dogs are aggressive only towards other animals, but friendly with human beings. “I have very rarely come across a Chippiparai that is aggressive towards human beings,” he added. In the film, Karuppi inherits the trait of her Chippiparai parent and that makes her fall prey to the hero’s enemies, who tie her to the tracks to be crushed by a speeding train. While mourning her death, the hero recalls how her trusting nature proved to be undoing.
It’s different
The Chippiparai has been subject to more research than any other Indian breed and it is an established fact that its physiology makes it special. “The reference range of the haemoglobin of other dog breeds is between 11 and 13. But with the Chippiparai, and the Kannai, a variant of the same breed, it ranges between 16 and 18,” G.R. Baranidharan, principal investigator of native hounds and the blood bank officer of the Madras Veterinary College, told The Hindu.
A study by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) found the packed cell volume (PCV) of Chippiparai and Kanni to be between 52 and 55 while other breeds have it between 38 and 42.
“The oxygen-carrying capacity makes them great runners. When it comes to a blood transfusion, 200 ml of blood from the Chippiparai and Kannai will match 300 ml of other breeds,” explained Dr. Baranidharan, who is also the principal investigator of native hounds at TANUVAS. He said the increased prevalence of DEA 1.1 negativity (73.3%) in the Chippiparai along with other traits of good temperament, less subcutaneous fat, easy access to veins, athletic body, average weight of 18 to 25 kgs make it a safe blood donor breed.
