New Delhi: Despite the efforts of the forest department’s “Operation Bhediya” to capture a pack of wolves responsible for the deaths of eight people and injuries to at least 15 others in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, two of the wolves remain at large, leaving villagers in the region on edge.
The residents of Bahraich, deprived of sleep, have been stockpiling lights and firecrackers for weeks. As night falls and the forests bordering the anxious villages echo with distant howls, firecrackers are sporadically set off until dawn, and all dark areas are brightly illuminated in an attempt to scare away the wolves, according to a report by the Times of India.
Deterring the wolves through noises and bright lights
The initiative, organised by the forest department in conjunction with the local police, seeks to deter the wolves through the use of loud noises and bright lights. Meanwhile, many villagers are seeking divine protection by reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’, another TOI report mentions.
It is believed that the loud noises and bright lights will discourage the wolves from approaching the villages, thereby ensuring the safety of the residents. Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla added, “We have been on high alert ever since the wolves were first sighted in the region. This precautionary measure is being enforced in villages affected by the wolf attacks, where fear is widespread. We are doing everything in our power to prevent further incidents.”
Two killer wolves still at large
After several days of thorough searching, forest department teams, who had dispersed into the sugarcane fields of Sisaiya village in Bahraich, captured a male wolf on Thursday. This was about a fortnight after the teams had captured another three wolves in the Hardi area. The forest department teams are now actively searching for the remaining two wolves of the pack, believed to be responsible for the killings over the past six weeks in Bahraich district.
Although four wolves have been captured so far, an official quoted by PTI said that the exact number of wolves in the area remains uncertain. Under “Operation Bhediya”, the Bahraich forest department is using drone cameras and thermal mapping technology to track and capture the wolves.
