INDRAJIT GHORPADE:
With the Indian Gray Wolf breeding outside the Bankapura Wolf Sanctuary, it is a big shot in the arm for wildlife conservation and conservationists in Karnataka.
Recently, Bankapura has seen the birth of two sets of litters – 8 pups in January and 5 pups/whelps in February that is 13 in these two months.
It was only in 2023 that an area of 332 hectares in Bankapura, Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district was declared and notified as a wolf sanctuary by the Karnataka government. But this happened only after decades of effort by the Deccan Conservation Foundation.
In the Protected Area (PA) of Bankapura, we have witnessed and recorded several litters of wolves of many generations. And this year too, it was no exception.
But not far away across the Solapur highway, there is another Denning site. However, this is situated in a non- protected area that is isolated, fragmented, and human dominated micro-habitat.
Last year (2024), most of the wolf pack died here, and rotting carcasses were found. But two or three individuals of the Indian Gray Wolf managed to survive. This has given us immense hope. In fact, last week (13th of February), we were surprised to find a den with high activity.
On closer observation, we found a litter of newborn wolf pups. And this happy event has been camera trapped.
This is Hulimetkallu (or tiger den rock) and it is the highest elevation point in Yelburga Taluk of Koppal District in North Karnataka, India. This is suggestive that tigers lived here in the past, like the Asiatic Cheetah.
It was in 2015 that is less than a decade ago, the Deccan Conservation Foundation (DCF) initiated several conservation projects to map and study biodiversity in the Deccan Plateau region. Scientific research, data compilation, education, and awareness programs were part of its various projects.
The resilience and survival of the endangered Indian Gray Wolf species is remarkable.
Besides wolves, other species like Striped Hyena, Indian Fox, Golden Jackal and other species in this part of Koppal district will get protection.
But the Indian Gray Wolf is still living on the edge of survival or extinction.
The major reasons have been:
- Predator and prey imbalance,
- Shrinking habitats,
- Human disturbance, and
- Unsustainable and unplanned development
All these factors are posing a serious threat for the very survival of the Indian Gray Wolf species.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to preserve habitats of not just the Indian Gray Wolf but also other species in the Deccan Plateau region. In this background, our mantra should be: protect wildlife at all cost.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL PHOTOS BY INDRAJIT GHORPADE EXCEPT IMAGE-2)