Incredible Wolf Sightings in Karbanwadi

In this video, I take you along on a journey into the grasslands of Karbanwadi where we had some incredible wolf sightings. Kadbanwadi is a protected grassland near Bhigwan in Maharasthra. It is about a three hour drive from Pune. This trip was a warmup before an upcoming adventure to Botswana, but little did I know that it would turn into one of the most incredible wolf sightings I’ve ever had.

We arrived at Kadbanwadi just as the sun was rising, and even before I could unpack my camera, we got a call from our guide that a pack of wolves had been spotted nearby. We rushed to the location, hoping for a glimpse of these elusive creatures.
The pack slowly emerged from a cornfield and crossed the valley right in front of us. These were wolves I had seen before—pups from a previous trip—but now they were all grown up. We spent over two hours with them, driving alongside as they went about their day. To my amazement, they seemed completely at ease with our presence, and ended up resting as close as 40 feet from our vehicle.

Kadbanwadi is a unique place, a mosaic of habitats that includes rocky terrain, grasslands, scrub jungles, and agricultural fields. The last time I was here, the landscape was a dry shade of brown, but this time, thanks to the monsoon rains, everything was lush and green. It was the perfect backdrop for watching wildlife. And although I was here primarily to see wolves, the area offered much more—raptors, chinkaras, and a rich diversity birdlife.

As the day wore on, the wolves retreated into the fields, and we didn't find them that afternoon. Wildlife photography isn’t always predictable, and after such a lucky morning, the afternoon drive was quieter. Still, the beauty of Kadbanwadi in the monsoon more than made up for the lack of sightings.

The next morning, however, our patience was rewarded. After hearing distant howling, we found two wolves in the open. As we waited for better light, more wolves appeared, and eventually, we saw a total of six wolves playing in an agricultural field. The wolves were full of energy, running around as if there were no tomorrow, while the adults relaxed nearby.

This was one of my best wolf sightings, and I hope this video brings you as close as possible to the magic of seeing these incredible animals in the wild.

Note : The shots from a drone are far away from the protected area of Kadbanwadi, over private property. They are representative of the habitat. None of the shots of the wolves are with drones : they are all with a long lens when the wolves were in a valley below.


Image Credits : Sumeet Moghe (https://www.sumeetmoghe.com/)


00:00 Intro
01:28 Just in time for wolves
02:43 Wolves chilling
04:02 The afternoon drive
06:14 A green Kadbanwadi
08:38 The drive next morning
10:22 Driving upto a wolf playing with a bone
13:06 3 Wolfs playfighting