‘Operation Bhediya’ to conclude in case of no fresh attacks

He further said that it might be possible that the animals had moved from the area due to the reinstatement of habitats as well as the heavy force and awareness efforts in the area

BAHRAICH: The ‘Operation Bhediya,’ which has been carried out in about 35 villages under threat of wolf attacks for the past two months, might be wrapped up within a week if no fresh cases of wolf attacks are reported or no wolves are rescued from the area, said additional principal chief conservator of forests Sanjay Pathak on Sunday.

Posters being pasted to educate the villagers. (HT)

He said that teams had thoroughly searched all possible wolf habitats in the entire river basin area close to the affected villages in the past few days. “Teams have found no fresh pugmarks or signs of wolf movement in the area. Additionally, it was observed that the water level in the area has receded, leading to an increase in wolf habitats,” Pathak said.

He further said that it might be possible that the animals had moved from the area due to the reinstatement of habitats as well as the heavy force and awareness efforts in the area. “Analysing the patterns of attacks, it was found that the attacks occurred after a gap of about three to five days. Recent attacks were reported on the 17th, 22nd, 25th, and 26th of August. In September, wolf attacks were reported on three consecutive days: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. No recent attacks by the predator have been reported in the area since September 3,” he said.

Pathak said that it had been almost a week since the last wolf attack in the area. Despite this, all the teams were working with full dedication and were constantly patrolling the area. People were being made aware through announcements and public meetings.

It may be noted that 10 people, including 9 children, were reported to have been killed in wolf attacks in different villages under the Mahsi Tehsil area in the past few months. The forest department had trapped four wolves from the area, but attacks could not be stopped. After that, the government increased manpower in the area and launched ‘Operation Bhediya’ to trap the two remaining elusive wolves from the pack.

Educating villagers through posters

Keeping in view the false alarms and panic among the masses in the area, the forest department has started a poster awareness campaign in Bahraich. These posters not only inform people about dos and don’ts for dealing with wild animals, particularly wolves, but also explain the differences between wolf pugmarks and those of other animals. The posters feature pictures of pugmarks to help people easily identify and understand the differences, ensuring they can raise an alarm at the right time.