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LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has issued 'capture or kill' orders for the two elusive wolves linked to the deaths of 10 people, including nine children, in Bahraich. State minister for forests with independent charge Dr Arun Kumar Saxena and Sanjay Srivastava, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), have reached the affected district in central UP. A team of experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) also reached the site late on Tuesday night to study the pattern of the wolf attacks.
Over a dozen teams comprising over 300 forest officials and 25 drones held a massive combing operation in the thick forest areas of Bahraich to trap the wolves right through Tuesday night but to no avail.
Notably, the predator, which had been attacking villagers for the last three days in quick succession, did not attack on Tuesday night. However, as per the claim of the forest authorities, four wolves had already been trapped and only two are out wreaking havoc. On the contrary, the villagers claim that more than two wolves continue to attack the population of at least 50 villages targeting kids.
Meanwhile, the WII experts have been tasked to find out the pattern of attacks and help develop strategies to fight the menace. They have also been asked to offer a blueprint to help people survive the man-animal conflict in the longer run.
“Capturing them is a top priority. But if nothing works out and the threat to human life continues, then permission is granted to the team to eliminate the animal,” said Sanjay Srivastava, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) who issued the order for the teams involved in coming operation in Bahraich.
The orders have been issued under Section 11 in Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which permits elimination of wild animals in certain cases.
For the ‘elimination’ operation, shooters are being selected from the forest department and also police departments at the local level.
“These shooters will be part of the field operations. We will carry on with all the efforts to capture the animal either in trap, cage, net or via tranquilizing gun, till the last moment. The animal is small in size unlike a tiger or a leopard, hence, catching them is still a better option than eliminating,” said Srivastava, who issued the order as chief wildlife warden, Uttar Pradesh.
Now two additional principal chief conservators of forests, Sanjay Pathak and Girish, have been sent to Bahraich. Four more divisional forest officers and four SDMs have been deployed with separate teams, which takes the number of people engaged in combing operations to over 150, apart from the police and other department staff.
“The killing is done only when the animal is in a position to kill our officers or staff. Unless and until this situation arises, the effort to capture the animals will go on,” said the head of the forest force SK Sharma.
