Bahraich: The fifth wolf from a notorious pack that has terrorised Bahraich’s Mahasi tehsil was captured on Tuesday as part of the ongoing “Operation Bhediya,” officials confirmed.
Since mid-July, the pack of six wolves has killed eight people and injured over 20, sparking widespread fear in the region.
The latest wolf was captured near the Ghaghra river, close to Harbanspur village, after a coordinated operation by the forest department. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ajit Pratap Singh, who is leading the campaign, said that the captured wolf is a female.
“Now, only the last wolf remains, which is lame. We hope to capture it soon,” he told reporters. According to Singh, wolf footprints were discovered in the area late Monday night, but the operation had to be delayed until daylight. Four teams from the forest department arrived early Tuesday morning to surround the area. The wolf tried to flee but was trapped in a net laid by the team. With assistance from local villagers, the forest workers managed to cage the wolf successfully.
“This was the first operation in which a drone was not directly used to capture the wolf, although it was operated to track the wolf’s movement in case of escape,” Singh explained. “The wolves tend to flee when they spot the drone, so we used a more traditional approach this time.”
The captured female wolf is the fifth from the pack, while the last wolf — a male — has eluded authorities so far. Singh said that the department remains on high alert and plans to heighten surveillance in the surrounding villages. “We are optimistic about catching the final wolf soon,” he said.