Grey Ghosts of the Grasslands: A Deccan Conservation Story

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They live in the shadows of forgotten lands—neither protected nor truly seen. The Indian grey wolf is vanishing, and with it, the soul of the Deccan.

TL;DR

Indian grey wolves are not creatures of myth. They’re real, breathing, surviving—barely—on the sunburnt lands of the Deccan. As concrete spreads and grasslands vanish, one of India’s oldest predators is running out of room to exist. Conservationist Indrajeet Ghorpade’s mission is simple yet radical: protect the overlooked. This is not just a story about wolves. It’s a story about everything we forget to save.

In the Land of Thorn and Dust

The Deccan Plateau doesn’t scream wild. No thick forests. No mist. No tigers lurking behind bamboo groves. Instead: dry scrub, rocky ridges, and land that city maps label wasteland. But for centuries, this terrain has held secrets—among them, the Indian grey wolf.

With lean bodies, piercing eyes, and coats the colour of dry earth, these wolves have evolved to vanish. You don’t see them. You see a blur at dusk. A paw print in cracked mud. A single distant howl, swallowed by the wind.

Yet now, their silence is becoming permanent.

Not Just Wolves. Not Just Wildlife.

At a recent talk at the Bengaluru International Centre, conservationist and wildlife photographer Indrajeet Ghorpade delivered a wake-up call. Backed by raw field footage, camera trap data, and firsthand encounters, he revealed how India’s wolves are clinging on—just barely—to survival in southern Karnataka.

In Bankapura, a newly designated 332-hectare sanctuary, three wolf mothers recently gave birth. About 12–13 pups are now navigating thorny scrublands. It’s a fragile hope, a flicker. And it might not last.

Why? Because these wolves are not protected by green laws. They’re not forest dwellers. They live in in-between spaces—grazing lands, rocky fallows, village edges. Places we’re too quick to bulldoze, mine, or monocrop.

The Silent Crisis of Grasslands

Grasslands are India’s most misunderstood ecosystem. We call them barren. We plant trees on them. We dig them up to build cities. But they’re teeming with life—striped hyenas, foxes, bustards, porcupines. And yes, wolves.

Destroy the land, and everything collapses. As Ghorpade warned, even pups born this year may not survive till the next.

The idea that only forests need saving is not just outdated—it’s dangerous.

A Predator With Many Names

Here’s the beautiful irony: the same villagers whose goats are sometimes hunted by wolves don’t always hate them. In local lore, the wolf is Paalak (guardian) or Maama (uncle). There’s reverence, not revenge. Coexistence is not theory here—it’s lived.

Ghorpade’s work with Deccan Conservation Foundation builds on this respect. His approach blends modern tracking tools with age-old wisdom. He’s not fencing wolves in. He’s helping humans and predators share space—because they already do.

Wolves Are Not the Enemy. Forgetting Them Is.

What’s at stake isn’t just one species. It’s an entire worldview. If we lose the wolf, we lose the shepherd too. We lose the thorn tree, the hare, the unseen systems that keep dryland alive. We lose balance.

And the most heartbreaking part? No one notices. There’s no media frenzy. No viral campaigns. Just silence.

Until now.

A Different Kind of Hero Story

This isn’t the jungle book. It’s the Deccan scroll—unfolding in slow, dusty pages. And the hero doesn’t roar. It howls.

Wolves of the Deccan are not asking for our pity. They’re asking for space. For understanding. For time. And they’re offering something in return: a lesson in endurance, resilience, and the beauty of living in-between.

Let’s not wait till the howl fades forever.

If You Want to Help:

• Learn about India’s dryland ecosystems—start with Bankapura, Koppal, and the wolves who call them home.

• Challenge the term “wasteland.” Grasslands are gold.

• Support conservation models that include people, not exclude them.

• Share this story. Because attention is protection. • Visit these dry grasslands. They are a sight to behold. A story to be told. • Contribute, because we can make a difference. Support Deccan Conservation Foundation with conserving these ecosystems. Donate.

Final Word

In the war to protect India’s wildlife, the wolf is not on the front page. But maybe that’s what makes it sacred. It has survived droughts, civilizations, and centuries of change. What it may not survive… is our indifference.