The terror of wolf attacks continues to haunt Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, with another incident reported within 24 hours. A five-year-old girl was injured in a wolf attack late last night in Mahasi. This follows a tragic event just a day earlier, when a two-year-old girl was killed and two women were injured in separate attacks in the same area. There have also been reports of possible animal attacks from the nearby Sitapur district.
“A five-year-old girl was injured in a wolf attack late last night. She was taken to CHC Mahsi for treatment,” said the CHC Mahsi In-Charge, as per ANI.
In recent months, a pack of wolves in the Mahasi Tehsil of Bahraich has become increasingly aggressive, with attacks escalating since July, according to officials.
Unique Strategy to Capture Wolves: Teddy Dolls as Bait
Forest officials have launched a rescue operation, named “Operation Bhediya,” using thermal imaging drones to locate the wolves. However, since the wolves keep moving, the officials have resorted to a creative approach—using colorful teddy dolls soaked in children’s urine as bait to attract and capture the animals.
The dolls have been strategically placed near riverbanks and close to the wolves’ dens, mimicking the scent of humans to draw the wolves toward traps.
“Typically, wolves hunt at night and return to their dens by morning. Our plan is to trick them and lure them away from populated areas towards traps or cages near their dens,” Divisional Forest Officer Ajit Pratap Singh told the sources. “We are using thermal drones to track the wolves and then driving them toward isolated areas with firecrackers and loud noises. Since they have mostly been targeting children, we’ve introduced large teddy dolls dressed in colorful clothes and soaked in children’s urine to create the illusion of human presence. This natural scent could attract them toward the traps,” Singh added.
Senior IFS officer Ramesh Kumar Pandey, who has extensive experience working in the Terai forests and currently serves as the Inspector General of Forests at the Ministry of Environment, explained that wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and both wild and domestic dogs belong to the canid species. He compared the use of teddy dolls by the forest department to scarecrows used in fields, describing it as a form of false bait to lure the wolves.
Since July 17, the wolf pack has killed six children and one woman, injuring many more villagers. Although four of the six wolves have been captured, two remain on the loose, continuing to threaten the community.