A fortnight before International Wolf Day, two dedicated corridors have been identified by a WWF-India–funded agency as the preferred pathways of Indian wolves in West Burdwan.
International Wolf Day is observed annually on 13 August.
WINGS (Wildlife Information & Nature Guide Society), a Durgapur-based organisation dedicated to wildlife protection, was commissioned by WWF-India earlier this year to conduct a detailed survey and documentation in the jungles and coal mine patches of East and West Burdwan. The aim was to assess the status of wolves living deep within the forests near habitations in Ausgram, Kanksa, Laudoha, Jamuria, Baraboni and Pandaveswar blocks.
The survey gained urgency after two recorded wolf attacks at Debsala village on 27 and 29 December 2024. Officials, after analysing several scat samples, confirmed that the packs were raiding localities in search of domestic animals. Apart from the Debsala incidents, human–wolf conflict has not escalated significantly, except for one case in Aduria, where a full-grown wolf was beaten to death earlier this year.
The same organisation has now been tasked with similar wolf documentation work in the forests of Bankura.
WWF-India allocated Rs 6 lakh for the Burdwan survey, later supplemented by Rs 25 lakh from The Habitat Trust, an environmental organisation based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
“The morphological data gathered during our field survey suggest that around 30 wolves, distributed in four packs, have chosen the Madhaigunj–Garh Jungle corridor across the twin districts as a safe haven,” said Arkajyoti Mukherjee, secretary of WINGS. He added that despite shrinking forest cover, the environment in these stretches remains “suitable and nearly favourable” for the wolves, resulting in the birth of two pups at Madhaigunj.
Some packs have been observed moving frequently between Madhaigunj and Jamgora. To prevent wolves from approaching human settlements, the agency has installed flardy deterrent flags in two forest-adjacent areas at Madhaigunj and Jamgora. Flardies, a non-lethal wolf management tool, consist of flapping fencing flags designed to deter wolves. “They are widely used in Western European countries, where wolf populations are quite high,” Arkajyoti said.
However, the Divisional Forest authorities believe that the actual number of wolf packs may be nearly double the documented figures. Sudip Banerjee, Range Officer for Panagarh and Durgapur forest ranges, said, “Our patrolling teams have spotted wolves in several virgin areas, including Gopalpur and Aduria, which are yet to be brought under trap-camera surveillance.”