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The people of Bahraich and the surrounding areas can finally breathe a sigh of relief as one of the man-eating wolves that claimed several victims has been captured. As of now total four wolves have been captured by the forest department. According to reports, a pack of six to seven wolves has been spotted in the area, and efforts are now underway to capture the remaining two to three wolves.
In recent weeks, a pack of five man-eating wolves has terrorised the district, killing at least eight children and attacking more than two dozen people. The Forest Department successfully captured another man-eating wolf on Thursday, bringing the total number of wolves caught so far to four. A video of one of the captured wolves, now confined in a cage, has surfaced on social media, garnering widespread attention.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is personally overseeing the progress of Operation Bhediya, which has been launched to capture the remaining wolves and ensure the safety of the local population. Acting on the Chief Minister's instructions, forest and environment minister Arun Kumar Saxena visited Bahraich on Wednesday to assess the situation. He held meetings with local representatives and officials and visited several villages to reassure residents that the Forest Department is working tirelessly to protect them and capture the wolves.
Minister Saxena stated that the Forest Department is making every effort to apprehend the remaining wolves. The department has deployed drones for mapping the area and is using thermal drones to monitor and track the wolves. In the wake of the attacks, the district administration has provided financial assistance of five lakh rupees each to the families of four deceased victims, with compensation for the remaining families expected to be released soon.
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Meanwhile, the deadly wolf attacks have sparked political controversy. Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the Yogi Adityanath government, stating that these incidents highlight two major failures of the BJP administration. He pointed out that illegal deforestation under the BJP's rule has reduced forest cover, the natural habitat for these animals, leading to a disruption in their food chain. He also blamed the Forest Department's negligence for the situation.
Yadav further accused BJP MLAs of staging fake displays of concern by filming themselves carrying guns and searching for the man-eating wolves' tracks, then posting these videos on social media to project a false sense of empathy. According to Yadav, this behavior indicates a lack of confidence in their own government's ability to handle the crisis.
