KARACHI: Six Indian gray wolf puppies, found in the care of local residents in Pakistan’s southwestern Zhob district, were relocated to a rescue center in Balochistan province, the Wildlife Department said on Friday.
The Indian gray wolf, also known as canis lupus pallipes, is a small, slender subspecies of the gray wolf found in India, Pakistan and Nepal, particularly in dry grasslands and scrublands. It has a pale brown or reddish-gray coat with short fur suited to hot climates.
The rescue followed a video that went viral on social media, showing locals playing with the puppies in the Kakar Khorasan area of Zhob. Wildlife officials then sought assistance from the police and Levies to take the animals into their custody, which they did.
“We have transferred all six to the rescue center in Zhob where they are being cared for,” Chief Wildlife Conservator Sharifuddin Baloch told Arab News over the phone. “Once they reach an appropriate age, they will be released into the wild.”
He said initial reports suggested that one wolf puppy had died, but wildlife officials later found all the puppies alive.
Compared to other wolves, Indian gray wolves form smaller packs, are more elusive and less vocal. They prey on livestock, small mammals and occasionally wild ungulates.
Genetically distinct and among the oldest wolf lineages, the Indian gray wolf is listed as endangered in India due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and persecution.
