Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)

Indian Wolf

Scientific name: Canis lupus pallipes

Field note:
The Indian Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. The team documented its activity on the Hermon highlands, extending toward the occupied Golan Heights. Records include a confirmed sighting of a female with her pups in May 2018 and other sightings that are intermittent but continuous. These observations show ongoing presence despite shrinking habitat and pressure from human activity.

Conservation status and assessment year:
Listed as Vulnerable (VU) at the global level under the latest expert updates. Numbers decline in several regions because of habitat loss, hunting, and land-use change.

Habitat and distribution:
The Indian Wolf lives in dry plains, semi-arid zones, and open valleys. It occurs in Iran, Pakistan, and India and reaches the Middle East. In the Levant, it ranges across Lebanon, Syria, northern Palestine, and the occupied Golan Heights. It uses wide terrain for movement and hunts in open ground.

Diet:
The Indian Wolf hunts small and medium prey. It takes small mammals, birds, reptiles, young gazelles, young sheep, and young goats. It feeds on carrion when prey is scarce. Its feeding pattern shifts with seasonal conditions in open and semi-arid habitats.

Ecological role:
The Indian Wolf is an apex predator. It regulates prey numbers and keeps food-web dynamics stable in open habitats.

Threats:
The species faces habitat loss, hunting, conflict with farmers, reduced natural prey, and habitat fragmentation that limits movement and long-term survival.