The Forest Department in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh has achieved another major success amidst the terror of man-eating wolves when the ninth animal was shot dead.
Late Thursday evening, during a patrol in the Kaiserganj forest range area, a Forest Department team shot and killed the ninth man-eating wolf.
The action has brought some relief to the locals in rural areas, although the fear amongst them has not completely subsided.
According to forest officials here on Friday, between September and December, a total of 13 people, including 11 innocent children, have died in the district due to attacks by man-eating wolves. These incidents had created an atmosphere of fear throughout the area. Villages become deserted after sunset, and people do not allow their children to go outside. Due to the continuous incidents taking place, the matter reached the state government level.
Following strict instructions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Forest Department launched a special operation with sharpshooters. The entire area is being closely monitored with the help of drones, camera traps, and patrol teams. Under this operation, a total of nine man-eating wolves have been killed so far.
On Thursday evening, during a routine patrol near Bhirgu Purwa village under the Kaiserganj forest range, a wolf was spotted among the bushes. The team initially tried to surround and capture it, but the wolf suddenly started moving towards the populated area. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the sharpshooter was alerted, and the decision was made to shoot immediately, resulting in the wolf’s death on the spot.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sundarsa said that during the rescue operation, the wolf was continuously moving towards the populated area, which could have posed a threat to life and property. Therefore, it had to be shot. He said that the wolf’s post-mortem will be conducted today to confirm whether it was part of the man-eating pack.
According to the Forest Department, while the killing of the ninth wolf has brought some relief to the villages, the operation will continue until the last man-eating wolf is caught or killed. The department claims that the situation is now under control, but as a precaution, teams are continuously patrolling the area.