A pack of man-eater wolves has been giving sleepless nights to more than 50,000 people residing in as many as 25 to 30 villages in the Hardi area of Mahsi Tehsil of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh. Over the past 45 days, the stray man-eater wolves have reportedly killed around seven people including six children and one woman and have left more than 25 people injured.
On Thursday, the forest department managed to trap one of the killer wolves, taking the total number of trapped wolves to four. However, two man-eater wolves are still on the prowl giving the villagers nightmares.
250 Staffers, 3 Thermal Drone Sets To Track Wolves
The UP Forest Department and district administration have deployed more than 250 staffers including 150 forest officials, installed four traps and have been using three sets of thermal drone cameras to track the remaining wolves.
“Don’t be afraid, we are there for you. We are working round the clock to catch the stray wolves. The forest department teams are combing the area, the wolves would be trapped soon. Don’t be afraid, stay indoors and don’t venture out alone in the dark. We are getting the toilets constructed at the houses that do not have toilets,” said Dr Arun Kumar Saxena, UP Forest Minister, who inspected Sisaiya Chhoramadi village, one of the affected villages where the stray wolves had killed a child, a few days back.
However, the minister’s attempt to ease out the villagers have failed to pacify them.
How It All Began
Just like any other rural pocket, the Hardi area of Mahsi Tehsil in Bahraich district was no different. Locals, mostly daily wage earners, would leave for work in the morning and return by evening. Children and the elderly took animals to graze in the fields, while women collected dry wood from nearby forests for cooking. However, the routine changed completely in July when a wolf attacked the area for the first time, changing the peaceful village life overnight.
On July 17, 2024, the first killing was reported in which a one-year-old, who hailed from Sikandarpur village of Hardi area, was killed in a wolf attack. Almost a week after, on July 26, another man-animal conflict was reported in which the wolves took away a 3-year-old girl while she was sleeping along with her mother in the courtyard of her house. The next day, the half eaten body of the girl was found in the nearby field.
On August 3, the stray wolf struck again and took away an 8-year-old who was sleeping at his home. Similar to others, his half-eaten body was recovered the next day. And on August 17, another killing was reported in Hardi area in which a 4-year-old girl named Sandhya was killed by the wolves.
“Having green cover in abundance and located nearby the Dudhwa Forest area, spotting wild animals was not a new thing for us. But, the villagers had neve experienced anything like this. This was for the first time when a wild animal had attacked the villagers and back to back killings instilled fear among the villagers,” said Kishan Kumar, father of one of the children who lost his life in the man-animal conflict.
Four Wolves Trapped, Two At Large
Back to back killings, however, put UP Forest Department into action prompting it to launch a grueling drive to catch the wolves. “On the basis of pugmarks, drone footage, we came to know that there were around 6 stray wolves and hence we installed the traps accordingly. On August 19, we managed to trap one male wolf. Other than this, we also trapped three more wolves from the area in the past. However, two of the remaining wolves are yet to be trapped,” said Vineet Singh, divisional forest officer, Bahraich, who has been supervising the ‘operation trap’ to catch the ‘killer’ wolves. The latest wolf was trapped in Suraiyya Chhodamani area of Mahsi tehsil.
Wolf Becomes Man-eater Once It Gets The Taste Of Human Flesh
The DFO said during floods, spotting of wolves in this area is quite normal as they came out in human habitat in search of food. “Though wolves are generally not man-eaters, once they get the taste of human flesh, they become man-eaters. This is was happened with this pack of wolves,” the DFO explained.
Most Recent Killing Reported on August 26
Of the many cases reported, the most recent case was reported on August 26 in which a wolf attacked a seven-year-old, who was sleeping along with his mother in the courtyard. “We all were sleeping in the courtyard. Ayansh was sleeping with me. Around midnight, I woke up to a weird smell. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw a dog-like animal holding Ayansh from his neck. However, before I could raise the alarm, the animal took my son away. A day later, his half-eaten body was found in the field,” said Ayansh’s mother.
Staying Indoors Not Viable, Say Villagers
Back to back killings have instilled fear among the villagers who have been forced to stay indoors. “Officers have asked us to stay indoors, not to let children go out. Also, they have told us not to venture out in the dark and move in groups. But, it is not feasible all the time. There are many houses that do not have toilets, people have to go out in the open to relieve themselves. Also, there were cases in which a wolf attacked the children while they were sleeping in their houses. We are not safe anywhere,” said Kanhaiya Lal, a local who hails from Hardi.
Some villagers also said that they would starve to death if they stay indoors, since they were daily wage labourers. “We have to work everyday to arrange our meals. We are poor people and most of us are agricultural laborers, we work throughout the day to earn our livelihood. How can we stay indoors? Who will feed out family members? Who will take care of our financial needs,” questioned Pehalwan Yadav, who hails from Pure Basti, another affected area.