Kadbanwadi Grassland: Falling Indian Grey Wolf Numbers
Why in the news
The endangered Indian grey wolf, a keystone species, has nearly vanished from Maharashtra’s Kadbanwadi grassland.
Key facts
- Location: Indapur tehsil, Pune district; about 2,000 hectares; also home to Bengal foxes, striped hyenas, Brahminy kites.
- Wolves: 70 in 2016, 6 in the latest count; two recently died of CDV.
- Threats: packs of feral dogs, wolf-dog hybrids, encroachment, less shepherding, poor waste handling.
Concerns
- Maharashtra Forest Rules, 2014 allow removing or euthanising dogs in reserve forests, but officials hesitate over animal-rights backlash.
- Vaccination is hard to organise.
Exam angle
- Species: Indian grey wolf; disease: Canine Distemper Virus.