State PCS - West Bengal (WBCS)

• 22 Sep 2025

Bengal Maps India's First Wolf Corridors

Why in News?

West Bengal has recently made a remarkable stride in wildlife conservation with the successful mapping of two wolf corridors near the industrial town of Durgapur.

Key Points

• About: The pioneering initiative marks a first-of-its-kind initiative in India and contributes to the broader Indian Grey Wolf Conservation Project in West Burdwan. 
  • The corridors, located in the West and East Burdwan regions, span a combined area of approximately 20 kilometers and represent a crucial movement space for the Indian grey wolves.
  • With the help of local experts and organizations like the Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS) and WWF-India, this corridor mapping seeks to understand and protect the movement patterns of urban wolves. 
• Corridor Mapping: The mapping identifies two key corridors:
  • Intra-District Corridor: Linking the forests of Madhaiganj-Kantaberia to Garh Jungle in West Burdwan.
  • Inter-District Corridor: Connecting the forests under the Ukhra and Durgapur ranges of West Burdwan to those in East Burdwan (Panagarh, Durgapur, Guskara ranges).
• Findings on Wolf Population: Approximately 30 wolves have been recorded in the area, organized into four packs. The presence of at least 15-24 Indian wolves was also noted in a 2024 study conducted near Durgapur.
• Ecological Insights: These corridors are vital habitats for the species, with evidence pointing to the highest abundance of wolves found within the corridors over the last one and a half years. The study has also identified key breeding habitats and rendezvous sites, critical for the wolves' lifecycle.
• Dietary Habits: Through scat analysis, researchers have identified that the wolves' diet is primarily livestock-based (goats and sheep) but also includes scavenged cow, buffalo, rodent, and bird remains, which is essential for understanding the species' ecological role.
• Deterrent Measures: Fladry deterrent flags—brightly colored flags that create moving barriers—have been installed in conflict-prone areas to minimize human-wolf conflict.

Indian Grey Wolf

• About: The Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is a subspecies of grey wolf found across Southwest Asia and the Indian subcontinent. 
  • It lives in smaller packs and is less vocal compared to other wolf subspecies.  
  • It is primarily nocturnal, hunting from dusk to dawn. 
• Habitat: It is an apex predator in India’s scrublands, grasslands, and semi-arid agro-ecosystems. Thrives in regions with warmer temperatures. 
• Conservation Status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered (population in India: 2,000 - 3,000 individuals). 
  • CITES: Appendix I. 
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.