First wolf pup born in wild to zoo-bred pair, Gujarat calls it a howling success

Time of India

2 days ago

Ahmedabad: Randeepak, which loosely translates to "light of the desert," is an apt name conservationists have given to a wolf pup born on the open expanses of Kutch's Nadabet.
This male pup is the first to be born in the wild to a captive-bred pair, Sona and Pradeep, released in the area last year.
Little wonder then that Randeepak has become a symbol of success in the state forest department's challenging, yet dedicated, wolf conservation programme.
Conservationists are calling this breakthrough nothing short of spectacular. More so because it was achieved in India's first attempt to release any zoo-bred carnivore into the wild, and is only the second in the world for wolves, forest officials in Gandhinagar say.
The first was the reintroduction of the red wolf in the US.
In Sept 2024, a pack of four captive-bred wolves — Sona (3) and Pradeep (4) with two pups — were released in the wild in Nadabet. Two months later, in Dec, another five-member pack was introduced to life in the wild in Satalpur taluka.
You Can Also Check:
Ahmedabad AQI
|
Weather in Ahmedabad
|
Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad
|
Public Holidays in Ahmedabad
|
Gold Rates Today in Ahmedabad
|
Silver Rates Today in Ahmedabad
Jaipal Singh, principal chief conservator of forest, says what any dedicated conservationist would want to hear – both packs have adapted smoothly to their new surroundings and have returned to their wild ways.
"Data reveals that 90% of their kills are nilgais. Wild boars, rabbits, and other small animals constitute the remaining 10%," says Chirag Amin, deputy conservator of forest, Banaskantha Wildlife Division. He adds that with hunts by these wolves, more ecological links are snapping into place. "Other carnivores like hyenas and jackals are seen returning in these areas as their food chain is re-establishing. These changes in the ecosystem mark a significant achievement in the wolves' reintroduction to the wild," he says.
The mother of all efforts under Gujarat's wolf breeding and conservation programme is Divyangi, a three-legged female wolf that arrived in Junagadh's Sakkarbaug zoo in 2010. Gujarat had no male wolf. The state traded three lions with Mysore to find partners for Divyangi and her sisters. With some help from Divyangi, the initiative has seen the number of Indian wolves bred in captivity grow to 100. These are gradually being released into the wild.
"The zoo had only three females. Mating with a male procured from Mysore, she gave birth to one pup. The next year, she delivered four more pups. Divyangi passed away in 2018, but her legacy continues with packs spanning generations in Gujarat. Now, they are claiming the wild," says a forest officer, giving a throwback on how it all started.
Cut to present: The birth in Nadabet also means that there are more packs waiting in the wings.
Amin says that in the soft release centre in Nadabet, two packs are being trained to hunt in the wild. This is crucial for their survival instincts to take over and wean them off human dependence and intervention.
Karamsinh Desai, in charge of the conservation programme, who closely monitors these natural predators, says because the packs were bred in captivity, it became imperative to prepare them for life in the wild before their release. There's good news from Satalpur, too. Desai says that from the pack of five, a female has associated with a male who was already in the wild. "We hope that the two will mate this season, while Sona and Pradeep too may have more litters.
"
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.