{"id":223507,"date":"2025-10-18T20:18:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T20:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/223507\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T20:18:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T20:18:07","slug":"indian-wolf-declared-endangered-amid-rapid-population-decline-iucn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/223507\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian wolf declared endangered amid rapid population decline: IUCN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Only 269 to 290 adult Indian wolves remain in Pakistan, including 42 breeding pairs<\/p>\n<p>An image of Indian wolf. PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS   <\/p>\n<p>The Indian wolf, a rare South Asian subspecies, has been officially classified as endangered in the latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species amid rapid population decline, habitat loss, and human pressures.<\/p>\n<p>Genetic research indicates only 269 to 290 adult Indian wolves remain in Pakistan, including 42 breeding pairs. Most inhabit unprotected landscapes across Cholistan, the Salt Range, and Sindh\u2019s Tharparkar region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe wolf\u2019s greatest threat is not the gun\u2014but the bulldozer,\u201d said wildlife biologist Umer Khayyam. \u201cAgricultural expansion, infrastructure, and depletion of natural prey are driving this decline, while diseases from feral dogs and illegal killings further threaten survival.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2531349\/experts-warn-of-local-extinction-of-wolves-in-pakistan-without-urgent-conservation\" target=\"_blank\">Experts warn of extinction of wolves in Pakistan without urgent conservation<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Salt Range has recently provided <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2563386\/rare-indian-wolf-spotted-in-salt-range\" target=\"_blank\">confirmed <\/a>sightings. Punjab\u2019s Wildlife Department captured the first government-documented photograph of an Indian wolf near Kalabagh, marking a milestone in conservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the first time, we now have digital evidence proving the presence of the Indian wolf in Punjab,\u201d said Mudassar Riaz Malik, Secretary for Forests and Wildlife. A video recorded along the M-2 Motorway in April 2025 was later verified by authorities.<\/p>\n<p>The Indian wolf\u2019s population is declining at 3% annually, potentially falling 30\u201340% over the next 15 years if current trends continue. Experts stress that protection of grasslands, community-based herding, and cross-border cooperation with India are essential.<\/p>\n<p>Read More: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2541754\/rare-indian-grey-wolf-killed-by-shepherds-in-bahawalpur\" target=\"_blank\">Rare Indian grey wolf killed by shepherds in Bahawalpur<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Hira Fatima of the University of Education, Attock, said, \u201cWithout formal conservation frameworks, the species\u2019 survival in Pakistan is at serious risk.\u201d The nationwide survey launched in September 2024, covering Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan, aims to provide a reliable population estimate, currently believed to be between 200 and 300 individuals.<\/p>\n<p>The IUCN describes the Indian wolf as a \u201cliving relic of South Asia\u2019s evolutionary heritage,\u201d with a lineage dating back 110,000 years.<\/p>\n<p>Conservationists urge Pakistan to incorporate the species into national wildlife policy to safeguard habitats in Cholistan, Potohar, and Thar, offering the last chance to maintain ecological balance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Only 269 to 290 adult Indian wolves remain in Pakistan, including 42 breeding pairs An image of Indian&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[64,63,1209,128,338,40575],"class_list":{"0":"post-223507","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-india","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-wildlife","13":"tag-wolf"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}