Villagers kill 6th wolf in Bahraich, forest officials say it could be last of ‘killer’ pack

Lucknow: Villagers in panic-stricken Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich district killed a sixth wolf early Sunday. According to forest officials, this could be the last of the "killer" pack that terrorised over 55 villages in the region since March, claiming nine lives and injuring over 50 in a series of wolf attacks.
The forest department had successfully captured five wolves during this period, though one died after the rescue operation.Despite their efforts, fear persisted in the region until the latest incident.
District Forest Officer (DFO) Ajeet Pratap Singh, along with senior officials, arrived at the village and inspected the carcass.
"Forest teams had only spotted six wolves in the region since July. This could be the last known wolf in the region, but despite its death, there may still be wolves in surrounding areas. We plan to maintain surveillance for at least a month and will continue patrols until they can ensure the safety of the community," Singh said.
"On closer inspection, we found that the dead wolf was an adult female. When we enquired, we found out that the wolf had entered the inhabited area and was carrying away a goat. On the way, the villagers surrounded and killed it," he added.
"The animal had visible injuries, and blood was found near its mouth. The carcass has been taken to the range office for a post-mortem examination. A panel of three doctors will oversee the autopsy to provide clarity on the circumstances of the wolf's death," the DFO said.
Residents of Tamachpur village said that the wolf had tried to attack a child sleeping next to his mother in the courtyard of a house in the village, but on hearing the mother's screams, the wolf ran away and attacked a goat there.
Later, the villagers surrounded the wolf and beat it to death, they said.
Earlier on Sep 10, a fifth wolf was captured as part of the ‘Operation Bhediya' campaign that has been ongoing in the region to catch the "killer" pack.
A total of 25 teams, comprising 165 personnel from the forest department, had been deployed in the region to ensure public safety, along with four thermal drones for monitoring. Villagers had formed patrol teams to monitor their areas all night. All dark patches in the region were well-lit and firecrackers were burst every hour to scare away marauding wolves amid reports of attacks.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had conducted an aerial inspection of the area earlier on September 15 and met families of those who lost their lives in the recent wolf attacks. He had assured the residents of Mahis tehsil that the forest department, district administration and police would continue working until the wolf threat ended.