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Dr YV Jhala, foremost authority on wolves and former dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, reviewed the photos of the grey wolf and raised a red flag.
The rare Indian grey wolf is not just another animal rarely seen in urban areas.
A fleeting moment on the misty banks of the River Yamuna sparked excitement across the wildlife community as for the first time in nearly 80 years, a creature believed to be the rare Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) was said to have been sighted on the northern fringe of Delhi – a region where the species was long considered extinct.
The sighting, made by wildlife enthusiast Hemant Garg early on Thursday morning in the Palla floodplain, marks more than just a rare visual encounter. It has opened a window into the broader ecological story of a city once rich in biodiversity, now gasping under rapid urbanisation.
Why It Matters
The Indian grey wolf is not just another animal rarely seen in urban areas. It’s an endangered apex predator, crucial to maintaining ecological balance. That it may have returned, or wandered, into the outskirts of one of the world’s most densely populated cities speaks volumes about both the resilience of wildlife and the challenges of conservation in the age of concrete.
“If this is truly an Indian grey wolf, it’s not just significant, it’s historic,” said a senior official from the Zoological Survey of India, adding that Delhi hasn’t had a confirmed sighting since the 1940s. This suggests there might still be fragile ecological corridors left.
Caught on Camera – But What Is It?
Garg, a seasoned birdwatcher and nature photographer, spotted the animal during a routine morning walk and managed to snap a few photos before it slipped into the tall reeds. The images show a canid with the unmistakable lean build and tawny coloring of the Indian grey wolf, a subspecies native to the dry regions and known for its elusive nature.
Yet, experts are treating the news with caution.
Dr YV Jhala, foremost authority on wolves and former dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, reviewed the photos and raised a red flag. “The animal certainly resembles a grey wolf, but its tail and coloration also suggest possible hybrid features – perhaps part wild dog.”
He noted that shrinking forests and booming populations of feral dogs are increasing cases of hybridisation. It’s becoming harder and harder to find genetically pure wolves in many parts of the country, he said.
Until now, Delhi had no recent record of the Indian grey wolf. A 2014 biodiversity report clearly stated that the species was no longer present in the region. The last verifiable sighting dates back to the 1940s – an era when the capital still had vast open landscapes and scattered forest cover.
In contrast, modern Delhi is a sprawling metropolis, where green spaces are often confined to parks and ridgelines. That makes the sighting all the more remarkable.
“Wolves are capable of traveling hundreds of kilometres,” said a researcher from the Wildlife Institute of India. If it’s truly a wolf, it may have made its way here through corridors connecting Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. This could be an indicator that our conservation efforts are still creating movement space for some species, he noted.
The Indian grey wolf is currently listed as endangered, with fewer than 3,000 individuals estimated to remain in the wild. Its habitat is shrinking due to agriculture, infrastructure, and human-wildlife conflict. In recent years, wolves have only been sporadically seen in places like the Chambal ravines and some parts of central India.
That one might have appeared near Delhi challenges assumptions about what kind of wildlife can still survive, or return, to the cities.
“This is a moment for reflection,” said Dr Jhala. Whether it’s a pure wolf or a hybrid, it means wildlife is still trying to coexist with us. That should inform everything from our planning policies to our conservation priorities, he said.
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