How People, Cops, Foresters & Hunters Are Battling Cunning Wolves in U.P.’s Bahraich

Hardi Area, Bahraich District, UP – Night of September 2

In the quiet of the night, a woman lay asleep in the outer room of her house, the door securely locked against intruders. A faint, unsettling noise abruptly shattered the silence—someone was trying to force the door open from outside. Panic surged through her veins as the door creaked ominously, yielding to the relentless pressure.

Without warning, an immense, predatory figure burst into the room, an animal of nightmarish ferocity. It was the man-eating wolf that had cast a shadow of terror over the region. The woman’s scream pierced the night, drawing a crowd of neighbors who rushed to her aid. Her life was saved by a stroke of fortune, as help arrived in time. This kind of wolf behavior is unprecedented and has shocked even hardened and battle-scarred forest officials.

Unfortunately, nine children and an elderly woman were not so lucky; they were killed and their bodies mauled by man-eating wolves since March. And the rampage is far from over. Since the affected area lies on the bank of Ghaghra river, elephant grass on its banks provides them a perfect hiding place and they can’t be spotted from the ground or through drones, even if they are barely few feet away from the forest and police officials.

Thousands of forest officials and police personnel have been scanning every possible inch of land to get a scant of the elusive predator. They have set up cages, have been scanning the terrain from the skies through drones and night vision devices. So far, they have been able to nab four wolves of which one died due to self-sustained injuries.

But, that’s no consolation as the menace rages on with daily reports of wolf attacks on children or the infirm. As per forest officials’ estimate, at least two more man-eater wolves are on the prowl. But they are so elusive and flat-footed that their presence is noticed only after they have attacked a human being. The terror is so severe that the district administration has deployed nine teams of shooters with a clear mandate to shoot the predators at the first instance.

Since March, the wolves have maimed around 41 individuals, leaving the 70-90,000-strong population of approximately 40 villages in the Hardi police station area of ‘Mahshi tehsil’ gripped by relentless fear. The threat has driven villagers to patrol the streets throughout the night, their vigilance a desperate attempt to shield their children from the predatory menace.

During the summer, villagers traditionally sleep under the open skies instead of suffocating thatched-roof houses, but the terror of the wolf has forced them indoors. Now, families huddle inside their homes, with at least one member staying awake through the night, their eyes scanning for any sign of danger to protect their loved ones and livestock from the lurking threat.

Indian Masterminds engaged with Mr. Ajeet Singh, the DFO of Bahraich, and Mr. Akashdeep Badhawan, the DFO of Barabanki, a 2016 batch IFS officer appointed as the Task Master for this mission, to explore the ongoing crisis in detail. They shared insights into the forest department’s strategies for tracking the elusive wolves, including the methods and equipment used, the challenges faced, and the characteristics of the predator.

THE TERROR OF THE WOLVES

The conflict between humans and animals in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh stretches back centuries. Speak with any elder in these villages, and they will likely recount harrowing tales of encounters with tigers, wolves, or elephants—each story a testament to the age-old struggle between the local communities and the formidable wildlife that surrounds them.

The Hardi area, situated about 15 kilometers from the Bahraich district headquarters, is engulfed in a palpable fear of wolves, particularly within a 10-kilometer radius. At night, villagers and farmers form vigilante groups, armed with torches and sticks, stationed outside their homes to guard against the lurking threat.

In the vicinity, a convoy from the forest department, equipped with numerous vehicles, soldiers, and advanced gear, can be spotted patrolling the area. In addition, personnel from nearly every district department have been mobilized for protection. Sanitation workers from the Panchayati Raj department and employment servants from rural development patrol with sticks in hand, all united by a common goal: ensuring the safety of their families.

Police officers are stationed at strategic locations with weapons drawn, while forest department teams roam the area with tranquilizer guns, actively searching for the elusive wolf.

Ajeet said, “Right now the situation is that we have to ensure that no incident takes place tonight and we have to stop it somehow.”

ELUSIVE WOLF

Forest department teams are working tirelessly around the clock to address the wolf threat. However, their success hinges on targeting the right locations. The wolves tend to frequent areas with specific characteristics: huts without doors, tied-up goats and other animals, and places where people sleep outdoors. The department is focusing its efforts on these types of locations, carefully identifying and monitoring such houses.

Ajeet explains that the wolves appear to have a particular affinity for huts, suggesting it may recognize them. Consequently, special attention is being directed towards homes with these features, with vigilant monitoring in place to prevent further attacks.

URINE-SOAKED TEDDYBEAR & TRAPS FOR WOLF

In response to Indian Masterminds’ query about traps for catching elusive wolves, Ajeet Singh explains that the forest department is adopting a specialized approach to address the issue. Given the department’s new mandate to shoot, they are now strategizing to preemptively position themselves at locations where the wolf is likely to appear, enabling them to either capture or shoot it.

Wolves are known to be attracted to areas where livestock such as sheep and goats are tied outside and where their excrement is present, as they can detect these scents from a distance. 

To exploit this behavior, the department has devised an innovative trap. They have collected urine from small children and soaked teddy bears in it, placing these urine-soaked bears in strategic locations, particularly in sugarcane fields where wolves have previously been sighted and have attacked nearby villages.

Wolves are highly mobile, often covering distances of 10-15 kilometers in a single night. This relentless movement means they are not returning to the areas where the teddy bears soaked in urine have been placed. Additionally, cameras have been installed on trees in various locations to monitor wolf activity. However, despite these measures, no sightings of the wolves have been captured on camera to date.

When asked whether the wolves will be shot immediately, Ajeet clarifies that this is not the case. The forest department is making every effort to capture the wolves alive. However, due to the difficulties in nighttime operations, if a wolf attacks and the situation escalates beyond control, then shooting may become necessary as a last resort.

EQUIPMENTS & DEING BATTERY 

The forest department is currently utilizing an array of advanced tools to tackle the wolf problem, including thermal drones with infrared cameras, standard cameras, cages, trap equipment, and various nets. Mr. Akashdeep mentioned that they have recently added two more state-of-the-art drones, bringing their total to five.

But a key challenge had been the short battery life of the thermal drones, which lasted only about half an hour before needing recharging. To address this, the department has now implemented a system of portable generators that travel with the drones, ensuring continuous operation.

One vehicle is dedicated to carrying nets and other equipment essential for capturing wolves, while another vehicle is used for transporting forest department personnel. Additionally, special vehicles are on standby to quickly transport any captured wolves to a zoo or other designated locations as per government directives.

Overall, the forest department’s convoys are on the move 24/7, tirelessly patrolling between villages in their relentless pursuit of the wolves.

WOLF & DRONES: A GAME OF HIDE & SEEK

When asked why wolves run away after seeing a drone, Ajeet explains that it is indeed true that wolves tend to flee and hide upon spotting a drone. The question of whether wolves recognize the drone or simply perceive it as a threat is complex. While it’s uncertain whether wolves have the cognitive ability to recognize drones specifically, Ajeet suggests that experts might offer a more precise answer.

Currently, it appears that the drones used to track and capture four wolves have contributed to this behavior. The wolves that were captured were located using drones, and once the remaining wolves observed that their counterparts were being caught, they may have associated the drones with danger. This suggests that while wolves may not fully understand the nature of the drones, they can recognize that these devices are linked to potential threats and thus avoid them.

TRACKING 

Currently, tracking the wolves involves searching for their pugmarks, gathering intelligence from residents, and following them to determine the wolf’s location. However, the pattern of the attacks indicates that the wolf is constantly moving between villages and not settling in one place. This behavior might be due to increased vigilance from the residents following an attack.

The GM of UP Forest, Mr. Sanjay, stated, “If we are unable to capture the wolf physically, we will resort to using sharpshooters as a last measure. This approach is outlined in our regulations.”

A wildlife expert suggests that to capture the wolves, we should imitate their calls. By placing sound-emitting devices at various locations, we can attract their attention. Wolves typically respond to their calls, which would help us pinpoint their locations. 

WHY ARE WOLVES TURNING INTO MAN-EATERS

A recurring question is why are wolves becoming man-eaters. Sanjay explains that while wolves are inherently shy animals, they are also highly intelligent. They typically flee at the sight of humans, making them difficult to photograph. Wolves live in social groups, similar to human communities. After a hunt, if one member of the pack gets separated, the others will not touch the prey until the missing member is found.

Akashdeep noted, “We are employing a multi-pronged approach to capture the wolf. However, most reports come in after evening, when the drone’s camera capabilities are limited. The infrared camera struggles in low light conditions, making it challenging to differentiate between a wolf, a jackal, or a dog.”

Some experts suggest that the attacking wolf might be an outcast from its pack. In wolf societies, the alpha male asserts dominance and challenges to his authority can lead to fights. The loser of such a confrontation is often expelled from the pack. This might explain the wolf’s unusual behavior, as wolves typically do not target human children.