In News:

The Indian grey wolf, a keystone predator crucial to maintaining the ecological balance of India’s grasslands, is facing a sharp population decline. The primary threat stems from increasing encounters with feral (free-ranging) dogs, which pose risks of disease transmission, competition, and hybridization.

Profile:

• Scientific Classification:A subspecies of the grey wolf (Canis lupus), native to the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southwest Asia.
• Habitat:Inhabits scrublands, semi-arid grasslands, and pastoral agro-ecosystems, often overlapping with human-dominated landscapes.
• Physical Traits:Intermediate in size between the Tibetan and Arabian wolves, the Indian grey wolf is adapted to warmer climates and lacks the dense winter coat of its colder-climate relatives.
• Behavioral Characteristics:
  • Primarily nocturnal
  • Hunts in small packs
  • Less vocal than other wolf subspecies
• Geographical Range:Extends from Israel in the west to the Indian subcontinent in the east.

Legal and Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List:Least Concern globally, but considered locally endangered in India due to habitat loss and increasing threats.
• CITES Listing:Appendix I – Species facing extinction, with trade subject to strict regulation.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Listed under Schedule I, ensuring maximum legal protection within India.

Conservation Dilemma: Feral Dogs

• The Maharashtra Forest Rules, 2014 permit the removal of non-wild species, like dogs, from protected forest areas if they pose a threat to native wildlife.
• Despite this provision, forest officials often refrain from culling dogs due to ethical and animal rights concerns.
• Vaccination programs are proposed as alternatives to mitigate disease risks like canine distemper virus (CDV), but implementation remains logistically challenging.

Key Threats

• Disease Transmission: Feral dogs carry zoonotic diseases such as CDV, which can infect and decimate wolf populations.
• Hybridization: Interbreeding with dogs leads to genetic dilution, threatening the purity and survival of the species.
• Competition: Feral dogs compete with wolves for food and territory.

Case Study: Kadbanwadi Grassland, Maharashtra

• Location: Situated in Indapur tehsil, Pune district, this grassland spans over 2,000 hectares.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: Home to species like the Bengal fox, striped hyena, Brahminy kite, and the Indian grey wolf.
• Cultural Coexistence: The local shepherd communities have shared a mutually respectful relationship with wolves over generations, reflecting a model of harmonious coexistence.