Why in news?

• The first scientific population estimate of Indian peninsular wolves (Canis lupus pallipes) has revealed that only 3,100 members of the species are left in the country.
• Indian wolf is a subspecies of grey wolf.
• It is one of the common large carnivores found in scrub, grasslands and agro-pastoral regions of semi-arid India.
• Highest concentration is currently in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
• Threat- Hunting, encroachment and land conversion, growing man-animal conflict.
• Conservation status
• Endangered species in Schedule I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Appendix 1 of CITES.
• IUCN- Least Concern