'Grabbed my child by the neck': How a pack of man-eating wolves is spreading terror in UP

For the past 45 days, the villages in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, have been living a nightmare.

A pack of man-eating wolves has unleashed terror across the region, taking lives under the cover of darkness and leaving more than 50,000 residents across 25 to 30 villages in the Hardi area of Mahsi Tehsil gripped with fear.

These rogue man-eater wolves have reportedly claimed the lives of nine people, including eight children and one woman while injuring over 25 others.

The relentless attacks have shattered the peace of once tranquil communities, turning them into zones of dread where villagers are living in constant fear for their safety.

Here’s what we know so far about the situation.

How did it all begin?

The routine lives of the villagers, mostly daily wage earners, have been upended by a series of brutal wolf attacks in the Hardi area that have turned their peaceful existence into a nightmare.

The terror began in mid-July when a one-year-old child from Sikandarpur village was killed in a wolf attack, marking the first of many such tragedies.

Less than a week later, a three-year-old girl was snatched from her courtyard while she slept beside her mother. Her half-eaten body was discovered in a nearby field the next day, sending shockwaves through the community.

The attacks continued with frightening regularity. On August 3, an eight-year-old boy was taken from his home, only for his body to be found, partially consumed, the following day.

Another incident occurred on August 17, when a four-year-old girl named Sandhya fell victim to the same fate.

“Having green cover in abundance and located nearby the Dudhwa Forest area, spotting wild animals was not a new thing for us. But, the villagers had never experienced anything like this,” said Kishan Kumar, father of one of the victims, speaking to News18. “This was for the first time when a wild animal had attacked the villagers and back to back killings instilled fear among the villagers.”

Survivors are left traumatised by their experiences. Firoz, another young boy who was attacked, was dragged over 200 metres by a wolf before villagers could intervene to save his life.

His mother described the horror: “I desperately tried to save him by pulling the wolf’s legs, but didn’t succeed…When I raised an alarm, the villagers gathered, and the wolf eventually left him in the field in an injured condition. He was later taken to a hospital, where he was treated for 13 days and survived,” she told India Today.

For daily wage laborers, the situation is dire. “We have to work everyday to arrange our meals. We are poor people and most of us are agricultural laborers, we work throughout the day to earn our livelihood. How can we stay indoors? Who will feed out family members? Who will take care of our financial needs,” Pehalwan Yadav from Pure Basti was quoted as saying in a News18 report.

Another local Kanhaiya Lal told the news outlet that they are now forced to stay indoors, however, “it is not feasible all the time."

“There are many houses that do not have toilets, people have to go out in the open to relieve themselves. Also, there were cases in which a wolf attacked the children while they were sleeping in their houses. We are not safe anywhere,” he further said.

The villagers of Bahraich are caught between the terror of the wolves and the struggle to survive, as the authorities continue their efforts to capture the rogue animals and restore peace.

‘Operation Bhediya’

In response to the wolf attacks, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched “Operation Bhediya,” to capture the wild wolves terrorising the villages of Bahraich.

This coordinated operation involves over 250 personnel, including 150 forest officials, working around the clock. The team has set up four traps and deployed three sets of thermal drone cameras to locate and track the elusive predators.

According to an official statement by the government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also closely monitoring the operation.

“On the basis of pugmarks, drone footage, we came to know that there were around 6 stray wolves and hence we installed the traps accordingly. On August 19, we managed to trap one male wolf. Other than this, we also trapped three more wolves from the area in the past,” Vineet Singh, divisional forest officer, Bahraich, who has been supervising the operation told News18.

“However, two of the remaining wolves are yet to be trapped,” he added.

An official told NDTV, that they are using elephant dung and urine are used to divert the wolves’ route.

“The dung is set afire to create a scent that simulates the presence of elephants. Wolves, which are pack hunters, tend to avoid large animals like elephants. By creating this illusion, we aim to push them away from inhabited areas. We have also set up traps with bait in remote areas.”

Authorities are also installing doors and building toilets in the houses of villagers who don’t have one.

With input from agencies