For more than a month, residents of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh lived in fear as a man-eating wolf terrorised several villages, killing six people—including four children—and injuring over 35 others. The animal, which had eluded capture despite several large-scale rescue efforts, was finally shot dead by forest officials during an early-morning operation on Thursday.
Officials confirmed that multiple attempts to tranquilise and capture the wolf alive had failed. Former Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ajit Singh, who led the operation, said the decision to shoot was taken only after the animal turned violent and posed a threat to the team. The carcass was later taken to the Bahraich forest headquarters for a post-mortem examination to verify its identity and the cause of death.
The wolf had been attacking residents across Kaisarganj and Mahsi tehsils for nearly six weeks. Its pattern of assault included late-night and early-morning strikes, often targeting vulnerable individuals sleeping in huts or open areas. The attacks spread panic across dozens of villages, forcing people to stay indoors and protect their children around the clock.
One of the recent victims, 35-year-old Anju Devi from Thagpurwa village, was attacked while asleep inside her hut. Hours later, a four-year-old girl in Kodainpurwa and a seven-year-old boy named Kishan in Sainpurwa were mauled in separate incidents. Forest officials said all the injured are currently under medical care, with several of them admitted tothe Bahraich district hospital’s isolation ward.
To contain the situation, the forest department had implemented one of the largest wildlife control operations in the region. The affected zones were divided into six sectors, monitored by a central command centre coordinating 21 task forces and more than 30 administrative units. Advanced surveillance technology, including six drones, 25 camera traps, 20 solar-powered CCTV units, and four steel trapping cages, was deployed across high-risk areas. Two veterinary teams equipped with tranquiliser guns were also stationed nearby to attempt a live capture.
Despite these efforts, the predator’s agility and nocturnal movements made it difficult to track. Officials carried out continuous night patrols and conducted awareness campaigns, urging villagers to avoid sleeping in open spaces and to keep children indoors after dusk. Fear gripped the rural community, with residents building barricades around their homes and forming night patrol groups armed with sticks and torches to guard against surprise attacks.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken personal note of the situation, conducting an aerial survey of Bahraich on September 27. He directed authorities to prioritise capturing the wolf alive but authorised shooting if it posed a public threat. One wolf had already been shot dead earlier on September 28, though authorities later confirmed that a second animal was still at large—identified as the one killed in the recent operation.
In response to the tragedy, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a compensation package of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured. Officials said the compensation process has already begun, and relief teams are providing support to affected households.
With the animal now neutralised, forest authorities are assessing the overall ecological and safety conditions of the region to prevent future incidents. The prolonged episode has reignited discussions on human–wildlife conflict in rural India, highlighting the urgent need for habitat protection, early warning systems, and community preparedness in forest-adjacent settlements.
