Bahraich Wolf Attack : There is chaos in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh due to the attack of wolves on humans. In eight-nine months, wolves have made many people including about 30 children their prey. However, the Indian Grey Wolf, a species of wolves found in India, is struggling for its existence. Their number has remained only around 2000.
From the point of view of environment and ecosystem, wolves are very important creatures. They are an essential link in the ecosystem of the forest. It is very interesting to know how wolves revived America’s Yellowstone National Park. It also tells about their importance.
What were the losses due to the extinction of wolves?
Wolves had disappeared from America’s Yellowstone National Park by the 1920s due to hunting. Due to this, the number of animals like elk and deer had increased tremendously. Due to the large number of animals grazing on grass and bushes, the entire balance of the forest’s ecology was disturbed. There was no place left for animals like rats and rabbits to hide. The number of grizzly bears, which feed on berries, also declined. Apart from this, erosion in rivers also started increasing. Due to the absence of the threat of a big predator, animals like elk and deer used to eat the bushes growing on the banks of the rivers. The banks of the rivers were destroyed by their hooves. The streams of the rivers got filled with mud. Beavers, which made their homes from bushes in the rivers, also reached the verge of extinction. Apart from this, otters and fish also suffered.
41 The wolves had transformed
After being hunted for 100 years, grey wolves found their home again in the year 1995. 41 wolves were brought back to Yellowstone National Park in America. After this, the packs of wolves did something that hardly anyone had expected. First of all, they started hunting deer. According to reports, this led to a change in the behavior of deer. They started keeping distance from the valleys and river banks. Due to which tall trees started growing again in these places. Within six years, the valleys turned into dense forests. Many birds returned to the park. Apart from this, the number of beavers, rats and rabbits also increased rapidly. Which were the food of wolves, jackals and foxes as well as predatory birds like eagles and crows. The number of grizzly bears also increased due to the regrowth of berries.
Wolves changed the behavior of rivers
The most miraculous thing that wolves did in Yellowstone National Park was to change the behavior of the rivers. Because of the wolves, the erosion of the river banks stopped. Due to this, the silt in the rivers decreased and the formation of meanders decreased. Meander or river meander means the bending of the rivers. Due to the reduction of meanders, the erosion of the banks stopped.
Other creatures also get food from wolves
Wolves are very protective of their prey. But many carnivorous wild animals and birds take advantage of the prey they leave behind. These include animals like foxes and jackals to birds like martens, raccoons, eagles, crows and magpies. Wolves hunt in packs and scatter it over hundreds of square meters.
Wolves are ‘family men’
A wolf is a social animal. They cannot stay away from the group for a long time. They form their own pack as soon as possible or join another pack. Wolves usually live in a family group of five to nine members. There is a complex hierarchy in it. The alpha male and female reproduce. The alpha wolf is the head of the family. Apart from this, there are helpers in the group who maintain discipline, take care of the territory and the sick and injured members.
Tags: education, Education news, wild life
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 9, 2024, 15:43 IST