In Koppal, savannas and sanctuaries

Pavan Kumar H delves into the biodiversity of Koppal, conservation efforts and threats to wildlife in the region.

Deep inside the core area of Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary in Koppal’s Gangavathi taluk lies a special cradle. For the last two Decembers, the natural den on top of a hill has witnessed the birth of eight wolf pups each year, a rarity among this endangered species.

Experts say one of the main reasons the area is witnessing the birth of such a high number of pups is the protection granted to the 340 square hectares of dry scrub and grassland in 2021, when the area surrounding the den was declared a sanctuary.

“For the last two decades, I have been witnessing wolves littering at the same den. The largest litter I had seen before was six. However, for the last two years, the female wolf has given birth to eight pups and has been successful in rearing them to adulthood,” says Nagappa, a watcher at the sanctuary. Forest officials believe the sanctuary could be a “maternity ward” for at least three to four packs of Indian grey wolves.

An Indian grey wolf.

Koppal is located in the Deccan plateau, at the edge of the Eastern Ghats. The district is blessed with several such caves in rocky hillocks, grasslands, riverine land, scrubland and lush green paddy fields. This has resulted in the region emerging as a kingdom of lesser-known species such as wolves, leopards, sloth bears, striped hyena, golden jackals, foxes, smooth-coated otters, porcupines, pangolins, among others. 

Apart from the Bankapur sanctuary, Koppal is also home to the Hiresulekere bear conservation reserve and part of the Tungabhadra otter conservation reserve. However, the district has more than five lakh hectares of unprotected area. A large number of wild animals are living outside the protected areas. In arid regions like this, it is common for wildlife to survive and adapt to life outside the protected areas. 

A hyena. 

“Excluding the ‘charismatic’ animals such as tigers and elephants, Koppal has a majority of the animal and bird species found in Karnataka due to its unique geographical location,” says Indrajit Ghorpade, founder of the Deccan Conservation Foundation. The researcher has been documenting the lesser-known species of the region for the last four decades. He says just three-four decades ago, the region was home to now locally extinct caracal and great Indian bustards as well.

Unprotected regions

However, unlike the lucky wolf family that has grown within the sanctuary, a majority of the lesser-known species are thriving in the unprotected hills and open fields. It is unclear if the population of the carnivores and herbivores has grown, as there has been no study conducted. The shrinking habitat has certainly increased human-animal conflict. There have been growing instances of leopards lifting cattle and sloth bears raiding farms in the region.

A leopard at the sancutary. 

The rocky terrain poses a challenge for the forest department. Also, a majority of the rocky mountains and grasslands, where the wild animals are surviving, are private or revenue lands. The spreading of the River Tungabhadra’s canals across the region has also become a double-edged sword for conservation. One on hand, it ensures the availability of water and cultivation of crops that help sustain wildlife such as sugarcane, watermelon and fruit trees. On the other hand, it has also resulted in hundreds of people encroaching on revenue and forest land till they hit the boulders of the rocky mountains.

Emerging threats

“Stone quarrying, industrialisation, expansion of agriculture and destruction of forest land are the major reasons for the increase in human-animal conflict in the region,” says wildlife expert and activist Samad Kottur.

He says the grasslands of Koppal are facing new threats from windmills and solar parks, which drive away blackbucks and wolves from the vast expanse of the black cotton soil in Yelburga, Kukunoor, Kushtagi and the vicinity of Hiresindogi.

A sloth bear at the sanctuary.

The large-scale stone quarrying operations affect the ecosystem here. The resultant blasting of boulders forces wild animals, especially bears and leopards, to move in search of safer hides. Samad says before allotting revenue land for stone quarrying, a survey should be conducted by experts to document the presence of wild animals.

Hunting of the prey base of lesser-known carnivores is also resulting in increasing human-animal conflict.

Ghorpade says nearly 50 per cent of the lesser-known carnivores’ prey, like quail and hare, are being hunted and consumed by humans in Koppal. “We are forcing wild animals to depend on cattle and poultry waste instead of feeding on their natural prey,” he adds.

Centuries of evolution have taught these species to survive alongside humans, says Samad.

“The grasslands and scrub jungles need a bit of human intervention such as grazing by cattle. We do not want a scrub jungle to become a highly wooded patch. But the forest department needs to minimise human-animal conflict in order to ensure the retention of the natural habitat,” he says.

The forest department struggles with limited human resources. For the 340 sq ha of wolf sanctuary with two anti-poaching camps, there are only three guards. “We need more human resources and funding to ensure better protection of wildlife,” says Gangavathi Range Forest Officer Subhashchandra Kairawadagi. His range has the highest human-animal conflict in the district.

Koppal Deputy Conservator of Forests Kavya Chaturvedi says that there has been an increase in human-animal conflict in the region due to changes in land use. However, she believes there is no shortage of human resources in her division. “We have the required staff to safeguard the protected areas and the vacant posts are also being filled,” she says. Creating awareness among people on coexistence can help better conservation efforts, she adds.