According to the Wolf Census conducted in 2023, the total population of the animal in 13 districts of Gujarat — spanning 2217 square km area in the state — stands at 222, said an official release issued by the state government on Monday.
At 80 wolves, Bhavnagar tops among the 13 districts, according to the government statement. The census was conducted in 2023 based on an initiative of the Gujarat Forest Department in collaboration with Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER Foundation).
The 13 districts where wolf habitat was found include Bhavnagar (80), Narmada (39), Banaskantha (36), Surendranagar (18), Jamnagar (12), Morbi (12), Kutch (9), Porbandar (6), Mehsana (3), Navsari (3), Patan (2), Aravalli (1), and Surat (1).
Explaining the reason behind the maximum population of wolves in Bhavnagar district, a senior IFS officer, on the condition of anonymity said, “It depends more on the habitat. Bhavnagar has Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, a grassland and good prey-base for the wolves. It is also the Bhal region where farming of wheat is done in a big way, which suits the wolf population. Due to all these reasons, Bhavnagar has the maximum population of wolves in Gujarat.”
According to the statement, the Gujarat Forest Department has also released a Wolf Atlas containing the details of the habitat of the wolves in the state, which is one of the many steps being taken towards wolf conservation in the state.
A wolf’s average length is three to five feet and weight is between 30 to 80 kg.
A pack consists of 6 to 15 wolves led by an alpha male and an alpha female. The Gujarat Forest Department has also launched a project under which wolves, bred in captivity, are being ‘soft released’ in the wild to restore the ecological balance in the grasslands and parts of revenue areas where the population of wild boars, blue bulls, and other such herbivores has been growing unchecked, leading to damage in the crops of farmers.
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