The Grasslands Trust

05/06/2026

🔊The calls and vocalisations of birds and various other inhabitants of the grasslands compose a symphony of their own, and from dusk till dawn the expansive lands are alive….

This environment day let’s appreciate how much life exists in the open savannah grasslands around us and take a moment to listen in!

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28/04/2026

Poultry Waste: Boon or Bane for Grasslands?

Years of field monitoring by The Grasslands Trust have shown that discarded poultry waste has become a major food source for wildlife across grassland landscapes. This pattern has also been observed and reinforced by several scientific studies over time.

But the issue is far from simple.

On one hand, this waste provides easily available food for many species. On the other, it can artificially boost populations of free-ranging dogs, which are known to exert heavy pressure on wildlife through predation, disturbance, and competition.

At the same time, this creates a complex challenge for law enforcement, because the same waste also reduces human-wildlife conflict by diverting wildlife away from people.

What appears to be waste disposal on the surface is actually a serious ecological question. Poorly managed poultry waste can reshape entire ecosystems.

18/04/2026

Wonders can happen when even a little protection is given to wildlife. In a remarkable development, sightings of wild dogs around Pune have been on the rise.

This landscape is truly blessed—surrounded by diverse habitats that support an incredible range of species. Wolves, hyenas, chinkara, otter, four-horned antelope (chausingha), leopards, mouse deer and many more continue to thrive just beyond the city limits.

As Pune rapidly grows into one of the country’s largest metropolitan regions, safeguarding these populations and their habitats will be absolutely critical. Growth and conservation must go hand in hand if we want this richness to endure.

16/04/2026

Three-Legged King 🐺
First seen during the monsoons of 2021, this male was just another challenger, trying to carve a space for himself in a landscape ruled by a dominant wolf. What set him apart was a strange, almost terrier-like growth of hair on his face, making him instantly recognizable.
Over the next few years, he appeared only in intermittently, sometimes with a female, sometimes alongside sub-adults, but never with clear signs of a pack of his own.
Then in 2025, a thriving pack emerged… and at its helm stood this very male.
But he wasn’t the same. He was moving on three legs.
A closer look revealed his fourth paw was completely gone. Likely a victim of a snare, one of the many silent killers scattered across our landscapes.
To survive, he may have had to tear himself free. The healing would have been slow and excruciating. And yet, he endured, likely supported by his mate who may have sustained him when he couldn’t fend for himself.
Today, he doesn’t just survive he leads a powerful pack of 12.
A stark reminder of the brutal challenges wildlife face in non-protected landscapes and the extraordinary resilience it takes to overcome them.

14/04/2026

From wolves to leopards to porcupines, how AI and drones help protect life in endangered grasslands.

Read the full article here - https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-grasslands-conservation-ai-drones-indian-wolves-breeding-10625877/

06/04/2026

A Wolf with Terrier Traits?

For the past few years, our team has been observing a male Indian wolf with unusually distinct facial features, strikingly similar to those of terrier breeds, particularly the Fox terrier-type.

How does a wild Indian wolf develop features resembling an English domestic dog breed? A plausible explanation lies in interactions with pastoral communities. We’ve recently documented several community dogs showing terrier-like characteristics, suggesting past crossbreeding between local Indian dogs and imported terriers. These hybrids, likely valued for their resilience and strong hunting instincts, may have been selectively bred as livestock guardians.

With increasing habitat fragmentation and isolation affecting wolf populations, occasional hybridization between wolves and such dog lineages becomes possible. This particular wolf may be a result of such gene flow.

First sighted in 2021, we successfully tracked this individual to its den site in 2025. Remarkably, out of a litter of eight pups, two males displayed the same distinctive facial traits as their father, indicating heritability.

This highlights an urgent need for genetic studies to better understand hybridization in wild canids and to inform responsible conservation strategies.

30/03/2026

Wolves of Satara

The grasslands of Satara harbor a unique population of wolves adapted to some of the region’s most rugged, hilly landscapes, in a terrain that demands a lot of physical activity.

From mid-monsoon onward, they begin developing thick coats that gradually deepen into a rich, dark hue by the onset of winter. A particularly striking feature of this population is the distinct color division in their coats, setting them apart visually from other groups.

Together, the Pune and Satara populations represent one of the heaviest and western-most range of Indian grey wolves in Maharashtra, highlighting their ecological significance and the importance of conserving these habitats.

30/03/2026

https://youtu.be/_d11JUNthoU?si=L6rcH71X_AmhmGyN

Vishwatej Pawar, co-founder of The Grasslands Trust, in conversation on a podcast with actor and wildlife enthusiast Suyash Tilak- सुयश टिळक.

A detailed discussion on grasslands, tourism, and conservation beyond protected areas, thoughtfully engaging with sensitive topics, including cross-breeding between Free-ranging dogs and Indian Grey Wolf.

गवताळ प्रदेश (Grasslands) म्हणजे केवळ ओसाड जमीन आहे का? तिथे कोणकोणते जीव दडलेले आहेत? आणि सर्वात महत्त्वाचे म्हणजे या गवत...

24/03/2026

Conservation begins with people.

In the human dominated landscapes of Maharashtra’s grasslands local communities are becoming stewards for wildlife conservation. With support from The Habitats Trust, we are working to build this stewardship in wildlife-rich regions by empowering local communities. Our approach starts with capacity building. Training individuals in wildlife tracking, identification, and systematic data recording for meaningful analysis.
This breeding season, our dedicated community watchers have reported remarkable findings. A staggering 9 breeding sites of the Indian grey wolf across four districts, helping identify critical priority areas for conservation.

When communities lead, conservation thrives.🐺✨

20/03/2026

Many habitats are remembered not just for what they look like, but for what they sound like. In the forests of Northeast India, it is the melodious songs of the hoolock gibbons that linger in memory.
Our grasslands, too, carry their own wild music.
It rises at dusk, often in a chorus. The howling of the Indian grey wolf. Rarely heard by those in cities, this sound is deeply familiar to farmers and pastoralists who share their lands with these elusive animals.
Unlike other grey wolf species, the Indian grey wolf’s call is ever-changing. It flows from deep, throaty notes into sharp yelps of the young, creating a layered, shifting melody. Each chorus is unique, shaped by the pack itself. The age, s*x and number of individuals play an important role in its composition.