A rare Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) has been documented in the forests of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka for the first time.
- The rare sighting in the Southernmost forest landscape of the state was documented by the team comprising Sandesh Appu Naik, Girish MN, Gnanendra, Poornesha HC and others.
- This is perhaps the first-ever photographic evidence of wolf presence in Chamarajanagar district.
Indian gray wolf: The Indian gray wolf mostly survives in grasslands, scrub forests, and rarely in dry deciduous forests. Though the species is distributed widely, it is threatened largely due to habitat loss and retaliatory killing. Indian wolf numbers are suspected to be less than that of tigers. They are protected under Schedule – I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary: The Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary was constituted under Section 18 of the
Wildlife Protection Act 1972. An extent of 52,695 Ha, of Reserve forests in Chamarajnagar, Ramanagar and Mandya Districts of Karnataka State was constituted as Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
Source: Deccan Herald and Times of India
