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Indian Grey Wolf
Why in News?
The Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) was recently sighted near the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, marking the first recorded sighting in the city since the 1940s.
- The wolf was spotted in Palla, a village located on the banks of the Yamuna River, at the tri-junction of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Key Points
Indian Grey Wolf
- About: The Indian Grey Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf native to the Indian subcontinent and Southwest Asia.
- It is nocturnal and an apex predator that hunts in small packs and is less vocal compared to other wolf subspecies.
- Appearance: A carnivore of the Canidae family, the Indian Grey Wolf has a length of 100–130 cm in males and 87–117 cm in females.
- It is intermediate in size between the Tibetan and Arabian wolves and lacks a thick winter coat, adapting to warmer climates.
- Habitat & Distribution: From Israel in the west to the Indian subcontinent in the east, inhabiting scrublands, grasslands, pastoral agro-ecosystems and semi-arid agro-ecosystems in warmer regions.
- They are found in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and others.
- Conservation Status:
- CITES: Appendix I.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.
Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary
- Situated in Karnataka, it is India’s second protected area dedicated solely to wolves, after the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary (established in 1976) in Jharkhand.
- It spans 332 hectares and features scrub forests, hills, and natural caves suitable for wolf habitation.
