The West Bengal forest department has spotted the highly endangered Indian Grey Wolves in the forests of Burdwan West district, said IFS officer Kalyan Das. This is the first time Indian Grey Wolves have been sighted in the forest cover of Tilabeni and Kantaberia forests, about 25 kilometers away from Durgapur.
“This is the first time we have traced the presence of Indian Grey Wolves in the forest cover of Burdwan West District,” said IFS officer Kalyan Das.
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The Indian Grey Wolves were sighted by a divisional engineer of WBSETCL, who is also a wildlife enthusiast. During one of his recent forest visit, he heard from locals about the disappearances of poultry and cattle.
Das said that the engineer became suspicious and went to the forest to find out about it. As he went deeper inside the jungle, he spotted a pack of wolves with their offspring.
“He followed them from a distance and informed us and shared some photographs. It has been confirmed that a pack of Indian Grey Wolves are residing in the forests,” Das added.
A journal of the West Bengal Forest Department has also published the pictures of the Indian Grey Wolves. The forests of Burdwan West district houses several other wild animals including Indian hyenas, and golden jackals.
West Bengal Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick has termed the sighting of Indian Grey Wolves “encouraging news” and said that it is a positive sign that new animals are being sighted in the different forest areas of the South Bengal district.
The Indian Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus Pallipes) is a highly endangered species with a population of around 2000 to 3000 in India and is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Also called Herol by locals, the Indian Grey Wolves are nocturnal and hunt from dusk to dawn.
Adults, sub-adults and aged wolves have been photographed in the forests of Ukhra. State forest department has also surveyed the presence of small wildlife in the South Bengal forests through the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
