Wolf (Canis lupus)

[Sanju]

Wolves mark their territory over Koppal’s landscape
   

*This image is copyright of its original author

Study by Wildlife Conservation Society and "Deccan" Conservation Foundation shows predator (WOLF) is present in 86% of dist.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Surviving in isolated rocky outcrops and in channels that criss-cross the landscape of black soil, wolves and striped hyenas are making their presence felt in Koppal district of Karnataka (South Indian State).

Wolves, for instance, were detected in 86% of the district’s landscape, while the rare striped hyena was found in 23% of the district, shows a two-year-long study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Deccan Conservation Foundation (DCF), which concluded in December 2018.

Quote:Large carnivores have a considerable imprint in the district, with leopards and sloth bears found in 15% of the area, shows the study.

The findings can indeed push the neglected district into finding a place for itself in the Forest Department’s plans. Currently, Koppal district has neither a terrestrial protected area (sanctuaries or reserves) nor a forest/wildlife management plan.

“In some ways, the extent of wolf distribution is not surprising. Each wolf can have a territory of more than 200 sq km. While other species are confined to rocky areas, wolves are everywhere. Koppal is a good habitat for wolves,” says Iravatee Majgaonkar from the WCS, who helmed the study.

Getting absolute numbers is tricky, considering that wolves are elusive, and there are no differentiating marks to keep a count on their population.

In 2005, researchers from Mysuru University estimated there were just 555 wolves in Karnataka, with around 25 in Koppal.

However, Ms. Majgaonkar says their numbers may be considerably higher.

Quote:“In the past century, the wolf population has definitely plummeted due to hunting and their declaration as vermin during the colonial rule. In the past few decades though, in Koppal at least, numbers are steady,” she says.

To determine the distribution, WCS divided the district into 25-sq km grids, and visited alternative grids, while over 600 shepherds were interviewed to confirm sightings. The team also placed camera traps at three rocky outcrops, capturing wolves, hyenas, rusty spotted cat, jackals, foxes, and others there.

Herbivores are a concern
While the large carnivores are making a sort of comeback, with no protection from poaching or habitat loss their prey have virtually disappeared.

Chinkaras and Nilgai, which used to be found in the area, have disappeared. Wild pigs (boars) are found in just 53% of the area, but their numbers are a concern.

Similarly, blackbucks, which thrive in the black cotton plains, are found in just 19% of the area.

“The predator-prey ratio is a real concern. We didn’t know it would be so disproportionate.

There has to be a mechanism to revive the herbivore population — by protecting blackbucks or translocation of wild pigs. This would lower the livestock losses for shepherds too,” says Indrajit Ghorpade, founder of DCF.
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Shepherds’ tolerance
In the land of shepherds, the wolves of Koppal are intertwined in cultural lore. The study on wolves in Koppal shows shepherds in the district as having a high tolerance to livestock losses due to wolves.

This tolerance may be linked to the traditional shepherd community, Kurubas, who believe that wolves keep their flock fit by preying on the weak and diseased .

Quote:“Even if villagers lose a few sheep to a wolf pack, they just shrug it off. They truly believe the presence of wolves keeps their sheep vigilant and active. And so, much fitter,” says Vinay Shankar, project manager, Deccan Conservation Foundation (DCF). 

The team from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which helmed the study, tracked groups of shepherds over six months, and interviewed 110 of them. Just 34 shepherds, or 31% of the shepherd population - reported losses in livestock.

Of the 115 sheep or goats reported dead in this period, just 15 were by wolves, the rest through diseases. However, in terms of compensation, just six cases of wolf-related sheep deaths were claimed in 10 years.

What helps maintain the cultural tolerance, unlike other areas where man-animal conflict is on the rise, is the vast numbers of livestock there.

The study notes that for one wolf pack in a territory of 200 sq km, even if they feed on livestock every three days, each shepherd may lose just on an average one sheep every three years.

“Koppal is blessed to have this sort of cultural belief. But in the long term, this could be a cause for concern. People’s aspirations are changing and they could become less and less accepting of livestock losses. There will be a threshold,” says Iravatee Majgaonkar from WCS.

She, however, believes that the system of compensation for losses, which is not followed by the nomadic communities, must not be encouraged in the area. “This may backfire on the wolves. After a point, people will associate the animal with money and there may be low tolerance towards losses. The cultural association with the wolf may be broken as people will start looking at the canid as a ‘species of the state’ rather than belonging to the landscape,” she says.

Conservation reserves as a solution

Quote:The study finds that for wolves and striped hyenas, these rocky outcrops were used during their breeding period and to protect their young. However, these sites have seen rampant poaching, quarrying, mono-cropping, and tree felling.

“What we need in the district are micro-habitats of community reserves. If poaching or mining is stopped here, the wolf population will come up,” says Indrajit Ghorpade, founder of DCF.

The DCF has proposed to the Forest Department to declare Mandalmari outcrop, covering 150 acres, as one such area. Similarly, Twallahalla - “steam of wolves” in Kannada as the dense bushes there provide shelter to wolves.

Quote:At least 15 wolves in two packs have been camera-trapped there. The scrub jungles of Bankapura, which is a habitat for leopards and sloth bears, are also on their wish list.

The protection of the rocky patches will be an important refuge for the creatures as there is a chance the plains will change once irrigation and other agricultural practices are introduced, says Iravatee Majgaonkar from WCS.

“What is important is for a programme that includes villagers in conservation. By just declaring reserves, there is a risk of alienating villagers from the land,” she said.

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