In India, more than 150 police officers are hunting a pack of wolves that have reportedly killed nine people, including eight children. “Capture the wolves at all costs,” was an order from the head of the government in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
In addition to the army and dozens of forest rangers, drones are also being used to search for the animals, according to Renu Singh of the State Forestry Department. According to information, four wolves have been captured so far.
The deadly wolf attacks have occurred over the past two months. Most recently, a six-year-old boy was attacked outside his parents’ house on Sunday, but his mother was able to save the boy at the last moment.
Frightened residents keep watch at night
In northern Uttar Pradesh, fearful residents are now holding night vigils, using guard dogs and setting off fireworks to keep the predators at bay. Some villagers have also set fire to elephant dung or set traps filled with children’s urine, local media reported.
Experts say wolves only attack people or livestock as a last resort when they can’t find anything else to eat. But game wardens said flooding caused by torrential rains had inundated the wolves’ territory, driving them into more populated areas.
The floods have created a “shortage” that has made the wolves “take risks they otherwise would not consider,” Ajeet Kumar Singh, who takes part in the wolf hunt, told the Times of India newspaper.
The grassland plains of Bahraich district lie about 50 kilometres south of the Nepalese border, where dense forests cover the foothills of the Himalayas. The majority of the approximately 3,000 wolves living in India survive outside protected areas, often in close proximity to people.
The habitat of wolves is shrinking
However, wolf numbers have declined due to shrinking habitats and a lack of prey. The latest attacks have caused hysteria in the neighbouring state of Bihar, with a mob beating to death a jackal that was mistaken for a wolf.
Source: Krone
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