Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2026 | 18(7): 29354–29356

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10569.18.7.29354-29356

#10569 | Received 02 April 2026 | Final received 27 May 2026| Finally accepted 22 June 2026

Camera-trap record of the Indian Grey Wolf Canis lupus pallipes (Sykes, 1831) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) from Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha, India

Siddhanta Kumar Mohanta¹& R. Kalaivanan²

^1,2Kalahandi South Division, Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, Odisha 766001, India.

¹siddhantakumar2332000@gmail.com (corresponding author), ²kv.dolphin@gmail.com

Editor: Bhargavi Srinivasulu, Zoo Outreach Organisation, Hyderabad, India. Date of publication: 26 July 2026 (online & print)

Citation: Mohanta, S.K. & R. Kalaivanan (2026). Camera-trap record of the Indian Grey Wolf Canis lupus pallipes (Sykes, 1831) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) from Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 18(7): 29354–29356. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10569.18.7.29354-29356

Copyright: © Mohanta & Kalaivanan 2026. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

Funding: This study did not receive any specific funding from any funding agency.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the principal chief conservator of forest (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, Odisha and the divisional forest officer, Kalahandi South Division, Odisha for their support in carrying out the study. We are also very thankful to Karlapat sanctuary range staffs for their extended help during the fieldwork.

The Indian Grey Wolf Canis lupus pallipes (Sykes, 1831) is a medium-sized canid historically widespread across the Indian subcontinent. It is associated with arid and semi-arid open landscapes such as grasslands, scrublands, and sparsely vegetated plains (Jhala & Giles 1991; Jhala 2003; Boitani et al. 2020). However, wolves are also known to utilise heterogeneous and human-modified habitats when suitable prey and denning sites are available. In eastern India, the distribution and ecology of the species remain poorly documented, and existing records indicate the occurrence of small isolated populations (Shahi 1982; Palei et al. 2013, 2019). Therefore, documenting new occurrences is important for improving understanding of the species’ distribution in eastern India.

A systematic camera-trap survey was conducted across Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary between January and February 2026 using 82 paired camera-trap stations, with a total survey effort of 2,050 camera-trap days. Camera-trap locations were selected based on animal signs, existing trails and forest roads. Cameras operated continuously and remained active at each site for approximately 25 days. One paired camera-trap station was placed along a forest road in a Sal-dominated area at an elevation of about 604 m above sea level and approximately 2.5 km from the nearest human habitation. Anthropogenic disturbances, including livestock movement and occasional human presence, were also recorded at the site during the survey. The Indian Grey Wolf was photographed at this station on 26 January 2026 at 0935 h, representing the first photographic evidence of the species from Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary (Image 1 & 2).

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary covers 193.998 km² in the Kalahandi district of Odisha and is characterized by rugged, hilly terrain. There are 19 villages located inside the sanctuary, while 44 villages occur adjacent to its boundary (Palei et al. 2011). The sanctuary consists predominantly of Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest, Dry Peninsular Sal Forest, and moist mixed deciduous forests interspersed with extensive bamboo patches (Champion & Seth 1968). This diverse habitat supports a variety of ungulate prey species, including Sambar Rusa unicolor, Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak, and Wild Boar Sus scrofa, which are important prey species for sustaining large carnivores.

In Odisha, the Indian Grey Wolf has been recorded from Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, and Similipal Tiger Reserve, Sundargarh Forest Division (Nair & Panda 2013; Palei et al. 2013, 2023b; Mishra & Bist 2019; Palei et al. 2019, 2020). More recent camera-trap records have also been documented from Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary (Palei et al. 2023a) and Keonjhar Forest Division (Dhanraj et al. 2025), indicating that the species occurs across several parts of the state, although its distribution appears to be fragmented.

The Indian Grey Wolf is listed as a Schedule-I species under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972) and is classified as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List, with populations declining due to habitat loss, human disturbance, and other anthropogenic pressures (Hennelly et al. 2025). Continued monitoring and further ecological studies are necessary to better understand the distribution, habitat use, prey availability, connectivity, and potential human–wolf interactions of the species, thereby supporting evidence-based conservation planning and management strategies for the Indian Grey Wolf in eastern India.

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