A pack of man-eating wolves has kept more than 50,000 people living in as many as 25 to 30 villages in Maharishi Tehsilhadi area of Uttar Pradesh's Balich district awake at night. It is reported that in the past 45 days, stray man-eating wolves have killed about 7 people, including 6 children and 1 woman, and injured more than 25 people.
On Thursday, the forest department managed to capture one of the killer wolves, taking the total number of trapped wolves to four. However, two man-eating wolves still lingered nearby, giving the villagers nightmares.
250 employees, 3 thermal imaging drones tracking wolves
The UP forest department and district administration have deployed over 250 staff, including 150 forest officials, to install four traps and use three sets of thermal imaging drones to track the remaining wolves.
“Don't be afraid, we are with you. We are working day and night to catch stray wolves. Forest department teams are combing the area and the wolves will be trapped soon. Don't be afraid, stay indoors and not in the dark Adventure alone. We are building toilets for houses without toilets.
However, the minister's attempts to pacify the villagers failed to pacify them.
how it all started
Just like other rural areas, Hadi area of Maharishi Tehsil in Balaich district is no exception. Most of the locals are daily wage workers who go out to work in the morning and come back in the evening. Children and the elderly take their animals to the fields to graze, while women gather dry firewood from the nearby forest for cooking. However, in July, this habit completely changed when a wolf attacked the area for the first time, changing the peaceful village life overnight.
The first killing was reported on July 17, 2024, when a one-year-old child from Sikandarpur village in Hadi district was killed in a wolf attack. About a week later, on July 26, another human-animal conflict was reported, with wolves taking away a 3-year-old girl who was sleeping in her yard with her mother. The girl's half-eaten body was found in a nearby field the next day.
On August 3, wild wolves attacked again and took away the 8-year-old child who was sleeping in his home. Like the others, his half-eaten body was recovered the next day. On August 17, another killing occurred in the Hadi area. A 4-year-old girl named Sandia was mauled to death by a pack of wolves.
“With rich green vegetation near the Dudhwa forest area, spotting wild animals is nothing new to us. However, the villagers have never experienced anything like this. This is the first time that wild animals have attacked the villagers, in a row. The killings have brought fear to villagers.
Four wolves are trapped and two are on the run
However, the spate of killings spurred UP's forestry department into action, prompting it to launch a grueling operation to capture the wolves. “Based on pug tracks and drone footage, we learned that there were about six stray wolves, so we installed traps accordingly. On August 19, we successfully captured a male wolf. Apart from that, We have captured three more wolves from the area in the past, however, the remaining two wolves are yet to be trapped,” said Vineet Singh, Balaich divisional forest officer, who has been supervising the capture. The “killer” wolf's “trap operation”. The latest wolf was trapped in Suraiyya Chhodamani area of Mahsi tehsil.
Wolves tasted human flesh and turned into cannibals
DFO said it is normal to find wolves in the area during flooding, as they seek food in human habitats. “Wolves generally don't eat humans, but once they get a taste of human flesh, they become cannibals. That's what happened to this pack,” DFO explained.
The most recent killing was reported on August 26
Among the many reported cases, the most recent occurred on August 26 when a wolf attacked a 7-year-old child while he was sleeping in the yard with his mother. “We all slept in the yard. Ayansh slept with me. In the middle of the night, I was woken up by a strange smell. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw a dog-like animal stuck But before I could raise the alarm, the animal took my son away and his half-eaten body was found in a field.
Villagers say staying indoors won't work
The continuous killings have brought fear to villagers who are forced to stay indoors. “The police asked us to stay indoors and not let our children go out. In addition, they told us not to venture out in the dark and move in groups. However, this was not always possible. Many houses did not have toilets and people had to go Open defecation. Also, there have been instances of wolves attacking children while they were sleeping in our homes. We are not safe anywhere.
Some villagers also said that they were day laborers and would starve to death if they stayed at home. “We have to work every day to arrange meals. We are poor, most of us are agricultural laborers, and we work all day long to make ends meet. How can we stay indoors? Who will provide for our families? Who will meet our financial needs ?” asked Pehalwan Yadav from Pure Basti, another affected district.
