Suspected grey wolf sighted after decades

A possible sighting of the Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) has been reported in Delhi, after a wildlife enthusiast photographed a lone animal resembling the elusive species along the Yamuna floodplains near Palla, in north Delhi, where the river enters the city.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The rare encounter occurred on Thursday morning, when the animal was seen along the riverbanks before vanishing into the tall riverine grasses.

No recent records exist of the species in Delhi, with a 2014 publication on the Delhi Ridge by forester GN Sinha stating the wolf has not been spotted in the capital after the 1940s. Experts cautioned that while the photographs resemble the Indian grey wolf, the possibility of crossbreeding with feral dogs cannot be ruled out.

YV Jhala, a leading wildlife scientist and expert on Indian wolves, said the animal in the photographs did appear "wolfish", but hybridisation was a growing concern....the dark colour and the curve of the tail suggest possible dog gene introversion. Without genetic analysis, everything remains speculative," he said.