Indian Grey wolves (Canis lupus pallipes) in Human dominated landscape; Movement, space use and foraging

Abstract

The study presented a comprehensive investigation into the ecology of Indian wolves (Canis lupus pallipes) within human-dominated landscapes in Maharashtra, India. The study focused on movement patterns, den and rendezvous site selection, and food habits of Indian wolves to gain insights into their adaptation strategies and ecological interactions within changing environments. Seven adult wolves (three males and four females) and four subadult wolves (two males and two females) were captured using soft leghold traps from 2017 - 2021. Trapped wolves were held using a double-threaded nylon hockey net and immobilized using Ketamine–Xylazine by injecting intramuscularly on their hind leg and fitted with GPS collars. A total of ten wolves from seven different packs were fitted with GPS collars, and one male was fitted with a proximity collar. The GPS collars were programmed for the different intervals between positions ranging from 0.5-5 hours per fix (median=1 hour), depending on the time of year and type of individual. I then scaled the data to 1 hour per fix for movement analysis. This research underscores the importance of understanding wolf movement, denning ecology, and food habits for effective conservation strategies. As human populations and habitat alterations increase, studying wolf adaptation is crucial for species-specific conservation planning.