2024-09-02 11:01:13
More than 150 police officers in India are hunting a pack of wolves that are said to have killed nine people, eight of them children. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued an order on Monday saying “the wolf must be caught at all costs”. Renu Singh of the National Forest Service said drones were also involved in the search in addition to the armed forces and dozens of forestry officials.
It is understood that 4 animals have been captured so far. The fatal wolf attacks have occurred in the past two months. Most recently, a six-year-old was attacked in front of his parents’ home on Sunday, but his mother saved him at the last minute.
In northern Uttar Pradesh, frightened residents are now keeping night vigils, using guard dogs and setting off fireworks to ward off predators. Some villagers also burned elephant dung or set traps with children’s urine, according to local media reports.
According to experts, wolves only attack people or livestock as a last resort when they cannot find other food. But game rangers say flooding caused by heavy rains has inundated the wolves’ territories and driven them into densely populated areas. Ajit Kumar Singh, who participated in the wolf hunt, told the Times of India that the floods had created a “shortage” that forced wolves to “take risks they would not otherwise consider.”
The savannah plains of the Balechi region are located about 50 kilometers south of the Nepal border, and the Himalayan foothills are covered with dense forests. There are approximately 3,000 wolves in India, most of whom live outside protected areas, often in close proximity to humans. However, wolf numbers have declined due to shrinking habitat and lack of prey. The latest attacks have sparked hysteria in neighboring Bihar state. A mob killed a jackal that was mistaken for a wolf.
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