Hello! You might be wondering why dogs are in captivity, we are not dogs, we are Indian Grey Wolves. We are less fur possessing wolves found in Indian subcontinent.
Read below to know more about us:
- If you are from rural India, you might have been told that we steal children. This story is passed on from generations to keep children close to the village and not wander off. There are incidences where few of us have stolen children.
- We are silent wolves meaning, we do not howl like other wolf species.
- However, like other wolf species, we form packs and maintain good social bonds with one another.
- Do you know? In Hindu culture, hunting us is a taboo. But in British ruled India, Britishers killed a lot of us as we used to feed on human livestock which drastically reduced our population.
- We are also mentioned in Hindu mythology. We can be observed in Rig Veda and Harivamsa. Bhima, an important character from Mahabharata was called Vrikodara meaning wolf stomached.
- We are also be seen in Iranian culture’s Avestas and also in cautionary tales.
- We are famous for the series “The jungle book”. The wolf pack that adopts the human child Mowgli belongs to our species.
- Do you know? Our population is very less. Only about 3000 of us can be found in wild and remaining in Zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
SOME QUICK NOTES:
Our Scientific Name: Canis lupus pallipes.
Our Identification: Big dog-like animal with greyish to brown coat and long furry tail.
Our Habitat: scrublands, grasslands, and semi-arid desert-like environments.
Our range: Indian Subcontinent (map not available).
Our Food habits: Carnivorous; feed on rabbits, hares, rodents, antelopes, and human livestock.
Our Breeding Period: around October.
Our Gestation Period: 60-65 days.
Number of cubs born: 3-5
Lifespan: wild: 6-8 years; activity: up to 17 years.
Estimated Population: about 3000 individuals
IUCN red list status: Least Concern (as a whole species).
CITES: Appendix I
Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C.l.Palipes
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the Indian Grey Wolf belonging to subspecies of the grey wolf.
Let us tell you about our species,
Scientific name of Indian Wolf is Canis lupus pallipes.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are a dog-like animal with a greyish to light brown color coat. We (both male and female) have head to tail length of about 60-76 cm. We (both male and female) weigh about 18-27 kg. We are lightly built with no fur unlike other wolf species.
This low amount of fur is due to the adaptation of the species to the warmer climate. Males and females of our species look alike, and the young ones look similar to the adults.
We can often be misunderstood as a fox due to our size and build.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We usually have our habitat in scrublands, grasslands, and semi-arid desert-like environments.
We are found mostly in the Indian sub-continent i.e. in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. In India, it is found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. It is often found alongside the Himalayan wolf.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are carnivores and we hunt alone for food. We generally hunt small prey like rabbits, hares, rodents, antelopes, etc. We also attack and eat human livestock.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We mate generally in the time of October which is different from other wolf species. We live in small packs and only the alpha male and female of the pack reproduce. The gestation period is about 60-65 days and normally the female gives birth to 3-5 young wolves.
It gives birth in a den, but it often moves its young to different dens. The young don’t come out of the den until 3 months of age. The whole pack takes care of the young while the mother goes out for a hunt.
The young wolves fend for themselves when they are 6 months of age. The young attain sexual maturity at 9-10 months of age. The average lifespan is between 6-8 years in the wild but can sometimes we can live up to 13 years of age. In captivity, we can live up to 17 years of age.
MORE ABOUT US:
We, unlike other species of wolf, don’t howl often and is a silent species.
Like every other wolf species, we are an excellent hunter and swimmer.
We are known to maintain rich social bonds and care for its fellow pack members.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We, as a whole species are listed as “least concern” by IUCN red list, but we, the Indian subspecies are in a problem. We are protected as endangered species in India under the Indian wildlife act of 1972 Schedule I and are also listed in CITES Appendix I.
We were and are in some places still hunted by humans due to our attacks on livestock and children. This hunting led to the killing of more than 100000 of us by the British in India during 1871 and 1916. The population is estimated to have about 3000 individuals all across India.
