Vaibhav Sharma & Damini Sharma
North News
Chandigarh, August 29
A pack of man-eater wolves has plunged over 50,000 residents across 25 to 30 villages in the Hardi area of Mahsi Tehsil, Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, into a state of fear and anxiety. Over the past 45 days, these stray wolves have reportedly claimed the lives of seven people, including six children and one woman, and have injured more than 25 others, the news outlet News 18 reported. In a bid to curb the menace, the forest department successfully trapped one of the killer wolves on Thursday, bringing the total number of captured wolves to four. However, two more wolves remain at large, continuing to terrorize the villagers. To track and capture the remaining wolves, the UP Forest Department and district administration have deployed over 250 personnel, including 150 forest officials. They have also installed four traps and are using three sets of thermal drone cameras, as per the news outlet.
“Don’t be afraid, we are here for you. We are working round the clock to catch the stray wolves. The forest department teams are combing the area, the wolves will be trapped soon. Stay indoors and avoid venturing out alone in the dark. We are also constructing toilets in houses that lack them,” said Dr. Arun Kumar Saxena, UP Forest Minister, in a statement, according to News 18. Saxena recently visited Sisaiya Chhoramadi, one of the affected villages where a child was killed by the wolves.
Despite the minister’s reassurances, fear continues to grip the villagers. The once peaceful routine of the rural communities in the Hardi area has been upended since July when the first wolf attack occurred. Daily wage earners, who used to leave for work in the morning and return by evening, now stay close to home. Children, the elderly, and women, who would typically tend to animals or collect firewood, now fear stepping outside, the news outlet said.
