If all goes well, Karnataka will soon get its first Indian Grey Wolf sanctuary in Koppal district of Kalyana-Karnataka region. The Karnataka Wildlife Board, which is led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, is expected to approve the proposal to set up the sanctuary, on Tuesday. The 822.03 acres of forest area, located in the drylands of Bankapur village in Koppal district, is expected to be named as ‘Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary’.
According to Deccan Herald, the agenda copy circulated to the members of the board states that "a relative ecosystem for the conservation of these endangered species has been found in parts of Koppal district." Besides wolves, the area will also provide conservation of striped hyena, Indian fox, golden jackal and other fauna, the agenda copy added.
Melkote region in Karnataka is said to be the first protected area for wolves in the country. The Melkote Wolf Sanctuary was reportedly set up by the maharajas of Mysuru. However, according to reports, there has been no documentation of wolves in the region for over a decade. The water shortage in the region has been cited as a potential reason for the forced migration of the packs, say reports. Subsequently, two packs of wolves were translocated to the region.
The forest patches falling within Bankapur, Mallapur and Sulekal village comprise rocky hillocks and thorny vegetation, said the forest officials. According to the proposal for the sanctuary, the Indian grey wolves inhabit the dry grassland region in the Deccan Plateau and prey on blackbucks and other herbivore animals.
The officials also said that a pack of wolves recently gave birth to about six pups. The wolves occupied a cave underneath a huge boulder and nurtured the pups in the region.
The Karnataka Wildlife Board is also likely to take up a proposal to set up ‘Arsikere Sloth Bear Sanctuary’ in the state by including Hirekallu Gudda and adjoining areas.
The meeting, headed by BS Yediyurappa, is also likely to take up the long-pending proposal to declare Hesaraghatta — the last standing grassland ecosystem of Bengaluru — as a Conservation Reserve, said the Deccan Herald.