07-08-2025
A Shift in Maharashtra's Apex Predators
Depending on when you visit, the Kadbanwadi grassland wears a different mood. In summer, it shimmers gold. In monsoon, it blushes green. But one thing has remained constant for centuries, the sound of the wild. Until now.
Just 276 kilometres from Mumbai, on the edge of a 2,000-hectare expanse, lies a village where wolves were once part of everyday life. Today, they are barely seen.
Also Read: Who let the dogs out?
This is a biodiversity hotspot. But the Indian grey wolf, the apex predator here, is vanishing. Once 70 is strong, only six remain.
What's killing them? Not just habitat loss. It's something closer to home, feral dogs. Once domesticated, now wild, they hunt in packs of up to 50.
Photos and Visuals credit: Emmanual, Purnima Sah, Khushi Rathore, Tanya Drolia, The Grasslands Trust
Production: Yuvasree S
Voiceover: Jude Weston
