No crying wolf in Nauradehi

In his 13 years as a van rakshak (forest guard) in Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary, Tarachand Gond has seen more tigers than Indian Grey Wolves. His eyes twinkling through his shades, the 34-year-old is amused at the irony.

Amused because he is speaking in India’s oldest park dedicated to the endangered wolf; tigers were only brought in as recently as 2018. But the Indian Grey Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) – an ancient lineage of wolves endemic to the Indian subcontinent – is a tough one to spot. There are just over 3,000 grey wolves in the country – fewer than the 3,682 tigers counted in 2022.

Tarachand’s first sighting of the grey wolf is something he has never forgotten: “I first saw the bhediya [wolf] two years after I had been patrolling,” says this Gond Adivasi guard. “I was with a senior ranger in the Bharai circle [of the range] when we saw this animal in the distance. It was running from us. I asked him what it was and he said, ‘this is the bhediya’. This is the animal for whom the sanctuary exists.”

For the longest time, wolves were the primary predators in Nauradehi, lords of this scrub forest, spread across the southern Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh. Painfully shy, they have always been difficult to sight and are often confused with jackals. “When you do see them, it’s usually their back or side profile as they run away from you,” says Shubham Raikwar, a suraksha shramik (forest watchman).

With 700 of them, Madhya Pradesh has the largest population of wolves for any state. Yet, “It is very difficult to capture or lay eyes on it. A wolf, I'm telling you, is more clever than a tiger!” says Dr. Aniruddha Majumdar. A wildlife biologist at the State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, he is studying their behaviour, leading a four-year project: Ecology of the Indian Wolf and its conservation implications in Nauradehi Wildlife Division.

In 2023, Nauradehi and the neighbouring Rani Durgavati wildlife sanctuary – separated by open grasslands and villages – were merged into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR). Named for Durgavati, the 16th century queen-regent of the Gondwana kingdom, this is India’s 54th reserve for tigers. It’s a much needed space as the country’s tiger population has soared to 3,682 (Status of Tigers 2022) but not without unfortunate consequences, at least some brought on by crowding – 89 of the 166 tigers who died in 2025, perished outside reserves meant to hold them. The data for how many human lives have been lost to tigers straying out of parks is not available, says this nation-wide report.

Covering 1,200 square kilometres, VDTR has antelopes, deer, as well as reptiles, amphibians and fish along with a variety of birds, and crocodiles lie in its many rivers. It also has over 40 villages that will be displaced to accommodate tigers and soon – cheetahs. That’s another story…

The tiger population in VDTR stands at 24. Eight African cheetahs are expected to arrive here in 2026 – President Dr. Murmu herself signed the deal in Botswana.

With this, the endemic wolf has been eclipsed in its own home. A familiar story for many of India’s endangered species who don’t get the official attention or funds they need to thrive.

The ‘clever’ wolf is typically the bad guy of the forest. The ancient Jataka tales carry stories like The Cunning Wolf where one of these wily predators outwits and attacks generous and friendly jungle creatures. They don’t come off too well in most tales except The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling where the central character, the orphaned Mowgli, is brought up by a wolf pack.

While Kipling used these animals to exemplify the best social values, other Britishers during colonial times were severely persecuting it – bounties for killing wolves were higher than those offered for leopards.

Forest watchman Shubham says he grew up around here hearing the wolf referred to as “haraamkhor [maneater]” by locals in the Bundelkhandi language spoken here. “Bigna aavo [the wolf is coming],” is a cry used by pastoralists who dread their presence near grazing grounds. In recent times, stories of children said to have been picked up by wolves have made the headlines in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Wildlife biologist Majumder is painfully conscious of the generally poor social image of this predator who lacks the charisma of the big cats and says he actively wants to ensure local participation in saving wolves. But he still worries about those who stray outside protected areas and are swiftly killed by fearful people or feral dogs.

This species of the dog family – the wolf is in fact the ancestor of the domestic dog – is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act (2022). Animals in this category are endangered and require the highest level of protection, so a complete ban exists on hunting and trade, both carrying the highest penalties.

“The status of wolves is as precarious as that of the tiger, yet focused conservation efforts are lacking. This is the oldest living lineage of the grey wolf in the world,” reminds Dr. Yadvendradev Jhala. A senior scientist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, (NCBS), Bengaluru, he has written extensively on the Indian Grey Wolf.

A high-density habitat is extremely important for conservation as it allows for breeding and dispersion. But Jhala’s paper, Status, Ecology and Conservation Of The Indian Wolf points out that the wolf has lost habitat to development, hybridization with dogs, roads, diseases, and severe persecution by pastoralists and others who smoke pups out of their dens and shoot and poison them. “Extensive habitat loss due to human expansion and retaliatory killings have significantly contributed to the decline of wolf populations throughout their range,” he told PARI.

As a forest guard, Tarachand puts faith in the laws, to some extent: “Sabko kanoon pata hai [Everyone knows the law]. People let us know when a bigna [Gond word for wolf] has been around.”

Tarachand grew up next to forests in Maihar tehsil, in the northern part of the state. His parents packed off the young 7-year-old to his married sister’s house to ensure he got a good education in town. He went on to complete a M.A. in History and recalls the pull of the uniform that got him to take the exam for joining the forest service. “I thought the police service would be too hectic,” he says grinning.

It turns out that his days as a forest guard are no less hectic – he stays with his colleagues in the official quarters, wakes up at 5, and in an hour is off patrolling the forest with his partner. He goes home to his family once every 2-3 months, and stays a few days before returning. “My [four-year-old] daughter says, ‘mere papa tiger hai [ my father is a tiger]’,” he says, laughing heartily.

From the nearby village of Devri, 30-year-old Shubham Raikwar was always familiar with the forest. “When I was young, we used to try lots of adventures here,” he recalls, smiling. But after Class 12, he migrated to Khandwa for work. On a visit back home in 2018, he heard that forest officials were looking for young men who could track the tigers that were being brought in: from the Kanha Tiger Reserve, N1, a female orphan cub whose mother was poisoned, and N2, a male from Bandhavgarh were the two tigers introduced into this park.

When N1 made a kill, forest officials wanted someone to go and take a closer look. Someone who would not be scared. Shubham was summoned and sent on an elephant. “I had to watch it and report back. I had all the equipment for my safety, and spent the time in a tree,” he says.

When asked if he will apply for a higher post in the service, Shubham grins: “I have thought of studying further, but I spend so much time in rescue…I don’t really have any left to study.”

Guards and watchmen like Tarachand and Shubham spend their days and nights patrolling – covering anything from 5 to 9 kilometres a day by foot. They look for signs of predators and prey, and of course poaching and felling. They are the footsoldiers of India’s forests, enforcing conservation goals on the ground, 24/7.

They keep an eye on the wolf – and say frequent official workshops for guards and watchmen on the endangered animal do help. “This is their home. We have to take care,” Tarachand says.