The wolf was part of a group of six that has been responsible for the deaths of eight people and injuries to more than 20 since mid-July.
In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing ‘Operation Bhediya’ campaign, the fifth wolf from a pack that has terrorized Bahraich’s Mahasi tehsil was captured on Tuesday near the Ghaghra river close to Harbanpur village, according to officials. The wolf was part of a group of six that has been responsible for the deaths of eight people and injuries to more than 20 since mid-July.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ajit Pratap Singh confirmed the capture and said that only one wolf from the pack remains at large. “The last wolf, which is lame, is still out there, but we are hopeful it will be captured soon,” Singh said. The remaining wolf is believed to be male, while the captured wolf on Tuesday was confirmed as female.
The forest department intensified its search on Monday night after spotting fresh wolf footprints near Harbanpur village. However, due to safety concerns, the capture could not take place overnight. Early Tuesday morning, four forest department teams, with the help of local villagers, surrounded the area. The wolf attempted to flee but was ultimately trapped in a net laid by the forest workers, Singh told reporters.
DFO Singh added that drones were not used during this specific operation, as the wolves had previously fled upon spotting the drones. Instead, the department relied on nets and coordinated efforts to track the wolves.