It is an exciting time for wildlife enthusiasts in Mangaluru as Pilikula Biological Park (Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park) welcomes seven Indian wolf pups. The pups, born in January to a female wolf named Geetha, after being kept under close veterinary observation for their first few months, have now been moved to a public display enclosure. This new family is being hailed as a major conservation milestone, as it marks the first successful captive breeding of Indian wolves at the facility.
The Indian wolf (Canis Lupus Pallipes) is an endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and is a must-see on every wildlife traveller’s list. Seeing wolf pups, especially Indian wolves, is a rare event because these animals are among the most evolutionarily distinct and most threatened canids in the world. Successful breeding in a zoo environment like this one, which produced a litter of 4 males and 3 females, helps bolster the genetic pool for future conservation efforts.
If you are planning a visit to see the pups, here are a few things to keep in mind. The park is located in Vamanjoor, about 12 km from Mangaluru city. The pups are now active and can be seen exploring their enclosure, though they may retreat to dens during the hottest parts of the day — typically between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm. The park has designed the enclosure to mimic the scrublands of the Deccan plateau. Wolves are den animals. If you don’t see them immediately, look for the shaded rocky crevices or hollowed-out areas. They often huddle there during the midday heat. While adult Indian wolves are famously silent to avoid detection, the pups haven’t learned that rule yet. You might hear high-pitched yaps or rustling in the dry leaves before you actually see them pop up.
There are only about 3,000 Indian wolves left in the wild and other top locations to spot them in India include the Deccan Plateau (Solapur, Maharashtra), Kadbanwadi near Pune, Jawai Hills in Rajasthan, Velavadar Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat and Mahadar Wolf Sanctuary in the state of Jharkhand.