Captive-bred Wolves' Release into the Wild in Gujarat [UPSC Current Affairs]

The Gujarat forest department has planned to release 10 Indian gray wolves from captivity into the wild. This is the first time captive-bred wild animals are being released into the wild in India and is hence an important development as far as the environment and ecology of the country is concerned. This is a topic relevant for the IAS exam GS-3 environment and ecology segment.

Gujarat to release in the wild 10 wolves bred in captivity

• Wolves in north Gujarat and north Saurashtra will get the company of captive wolves bred in Junagadh once they finish a basic course in surviving the wild.
• The release is to happen from the conservation breeding centre at Junagadh’s Sakkarbaug Zoological Park to forested areas in north Gujarat and north Saurashtra.
• The facilities in north Gujarat and north Saurashtra will comprise a four-hectare fenced enclosure for ‘rewilding’ the predators and a two-hectare enclosure for the herbivores that will be used as prey to teach them to hunt, said forest officers.

Process of releasing animals bred in captivity into the wild

• Animals in captivity are not directly left open in the wild and this is done through a gradual process.
• These wolves will be brought to soft-release facilities.
  • In the beginning, a pack of five wolves each, three females and two males will be released in these soft-release facilities.
  • These soft-release facilities are enclosures where the wolves will learn hunting and other skills to survive in the wild. 
  • This will help in rewilding them and help them get used to the wilderness for about six months. 
  • After that, they will be released into the wild. This will happen in October-November, which is during the start of their breeding season. The chances of acceptance of new members into packs remain high during the breeding season.

Importance of Wolves in Prey-Predator Balance

• In the protected areas, mega predators such as lions, tigers, leopards, etc control prey populations of herbivores like blue bulls, wild boars, spotted deer, blackbucks, etc. However, outside protected areas, where mega predators are not common, wolves are the only natural predators of blue bulls and wild boars.
• With declining numbers of wolves, the cases of herbivores damaging crops are frequent. 
• The number of wolves has declined over the years, mainly because of the maldharis hunting them down to protect their goats and sheep.
• The population of wild herbivores went up significantly.
• There is no natural predator other than wolves for wild asses.
• As per a circular by the government, in 2021, the population of blue bulls was estimated to be 33,000 in a north Gujarat district where these wolves would be released. This will help in controlling the population and maintaining ecological balance.

About the Indian Grey Wolf

Image source: https://animalia.bio/

• It is a subspecies of the grey/gray wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent.
• The Indian wolves travel in smaller packs and are known to be cunning.
• The Indian wolf is similar in structure to the Eurasian wolf, but is smaller, more slightly built, and has shorter fur with little to no underfur.
• The Indian wolf is one of the most endangered populations of gray wolves in the world.
• Scientific Name: Canis lupus pallipes
• IUCN Status: Endangered

Captive-bred Animals’ Release into Wild Concerns

• It can be a disaster to release captive-bred wolves habituated to humans into the wild if released without due care. 
• They should be trained and able to hunt, kill and consume prey before their release.
• As the captive animals are habituated to humans and do not necessarily identify which animal to eat, they need to be deconditioned against humans and livestock and fed only wild prey. 
• Also, the wolves should find enough prey otherwise they may turn to the livestock of the Maldharis and this can exacerbate the man-animal conflict.

Example from other countries: Captive-bred wolves have been successfully released in the wild in the United States.

Way forward:

• With such experiments of release in the wild, the main factors behind the decline in the wolf population in the first place should also be addressed.
• The factors are persecution by Maldharis, infrastructure projects, habitat loss, intensification of agriculture, etc. 
• These trials will help in guiding the release of threatened or declining populations of other animals in future.

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