Indian Grey Wolf

Why in News?

Recently, a female Indian grey wolf has given birth to 8 pups at the Bankapura wolf sanctuary, Karnataka.

Indian Grey Wolf – It is a subspecies of grey wolf species.
Scientific Name – Canis lupus pallipes.
Habitat – Open forest, open plain areas, scrub forests, grasslands, arid & semiarid areas, dry- deciduous and degraded planes.
Distribution – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
- India – Eastern parts of Peninsular India especially in the regions of southern west Bengal and Jharkhand.

Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary is the 1^st ever wolf sanctuary in Karnataka.

Morphology – Medium in size, shorter fur is greyish intermingled with black on the dorsal crest while the underside is buff.
Hairs are grizzled with black, sports a dark V-shaped patch around the shoulders and limbs are paler than the body.

Characteristics – It's a social species that lives in a pack of 6-8 animals.
Howling is a key form of long-distance communication for wolves, especially when territories are vast.
It has an excellent sense of smell, and often sniffs the air to locate prey.
Diet – It is a carnivores animal feed on antelopes, rodents, hares, and raccoons.
Threats:
- Changes in land-use patterns
- Lesser prey animals
- Human development
- Fast encroaching.
Conservation Status
- IUCN status – Endangered species.
- CITES – Appendix I.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule I.