Shoot-at-sight Order For UP's Man-Eater Wolves. What We Know

Bahraich: In response to a series of fatal wolf attacks in Bahraich, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an order to shoot the 'man-eater' animals. Since March, these attacks have claimed nine lives, including eight children, and injured 30 others.  Nearby Sitapur district has also reported animal attacks, while leopard sightings have been recorded in Rampur, Pilibhit districts, and other areas in the wake of the monsoon season.  

So far, authorities have managed to capture four wolves and are still searching for two more. During a recent meeting with local officials and the forest department, Chief Minister Adityanath stressed that all efforts should be made to capture the wolves. He also made it clear that shooting the animals should be considered only as a last resort.  

‘Intensify Patrolling, Deploy Additional Manpower’ 

CM Yogi also instructed officials to intensify patrolling and deploy additional manpower in districts sensitive to human-wildlife conflict, amid the rise in loss of human lives in animal attacks in parts of the state.

Stressing that the government is committed to safeguarding the lives of all citizens, he directed top officials to implement comprehensive security measures in the wildlife-sensitive zones to bring the situation under control at the earliest possible, according to an official statement. He also emphasised that all necessary efforts should be made to control and capture these wild animals, the statement said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister sought an update on the situation from Forest Minister Arun Kumar Saxena who had recently returned from tours of Bijnor and Moradabad and instructed him to visit Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri on Tuesday.

Adityanath highlighted the need for extensive public awareness to safeguard against wild animal attacks and instructed officials that information on safety measures be disseminated through the administration, police, forest department, local panchayats, and revenue departments. He also directed officials to deploy additional forest department personnel in sensitive areas, including in Bahraich, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, and Bijnor.

‘5-Year-Old Injured While Sleeping’ 

Meanwhile, a five-year-old girl was injured in a wolf attack in Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich district on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the district information department said. According to the locals, Afsana was sleeping in her house in Pandohia village when a wolf attacked her and the marks of the animal's teeth were visible on her neck.

Family members and villagers rushed the injured girl to a community health centre in Mahsi for treatment. Officers from various departments and the BJP MLA of Mahsi, Sureshvar Singh, reached the village and advised people to remain alert.

Colorful Teddy Dolls Soaked in Urine Used to Trap Wolves

Meanwhile, in an effort to capture the man-eating wolves, the forest department has launched an unconventional approach: using brightly colored teddy dolls soaked in children's urine as bait. According to a senior forest official, this novel method aims to lure the predators away from residential areas and into traps. The forest department’s new strategy involves placing the teddy dolls near riverbanks, close to the wolves' resting places and dens. By soaking these dolls in children's urine, the department hopes to replicate a human scent that might draw the wolves towards the traps.

Divisional Forest Officer Ajit Pratap Singh explained, "The wolves are constantly changing their locations. They typically hunt at night and return to their dens by morning. Our goal is to mislead them and direct them towards traps or cages near their dens." Singh added that thermal drones are used to track the wolves, and noise, such as firecrackers, is employed to drive them towards the traps.

The teddy dolls, which serve as false bait, are designed to mimic the scent of humans. This strategy is reminiscent of scarecrows used in agriculture to ward off birds. Senior IFS officer Ramesh Kumar Pandey, currently the Inspector General of Forests in the Ministry of Environment, noted that while there is no documented success with such methods, innovative approaches should be explored to address human-wildlife conflicts.