A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was killed and a 65-year-old woman injured in separate wolf attack incidents in Bahraich district’s Mahsi division, with similar reports emerging from neighboring Sitapur district.

The tragedy unfolded early Sunday morning when Anjali, daughter of Kamal from Gerathi village in Mahasi tehsil, was snatched from outside her home where she was sleeping with her mother.

In another attack on Sunday night, Achla, a 65-year-old woman from Kheraniya village, was injured in the neck while sleeping inside her house with the doors open.

The recent fatal attack on the child has prompted the Forest department to reassess their strategy for capturing the wolves responsible for the attacks.

Of a pack of six wolves that have terrorised the region over the past month and a half, four have been captured.

Chief Wildlife Warden and PCCF (Forest) Sanjay Srivastava announced that a new strategy is in place and pledged to capture the remaining wolves within the next two days.

“‘Operation Bhediya’ will continue until all the wolves are caught,” he stated.

A new team has been formed to address the situation. Two additional PCCFs have been dispatched to Bahraich, and teams from the four surrounding divisions, including Gonda and Shrawasti, will join the efforts.

Four DFOs, two SDOs, and four range officers are set to arrive and begin a fresh operation supported by advanced technology. The strategy involves locating and encircling the wolves with nets, boats, and personnel to safely tranquillise them. Srivastava admitted that the task is challenging.

The wolves have been carrying out attacks at intervals of one to two days, making them difficult to track and capture.

“The wolves are cunning and have become shrewd,” he said, adding: “In a recent incident, a vigilant mother saved her son, but the wolf managed to abduct the child in the next attack.”

The chief wildlife warden noted that the attacks are concentrated in Mahasi tehsil, where the wolves appear to be relying on these incidents due to a lack of natural prey.

“The wolves are attacking every two to three days. If villagers followed the advice to avoid sleeping outside, the risks would be significantly reduced,” he explained.

Despite repeated warnings from the forest minister, many villagers continue to sleep outside, which has increased the risk of attacks, he added.

Srivastava advised that those without doors should block passages with charpoys, chairs, and tables to make it more difficult for wolves to enter.

He clarified that the problem involves a female wolf and a lame male wolf, which are more challenging to capture due to their nocturnal behaviour and keen senses.

“While these wolves are not ‘man-eaters’ like tigers or leopards, they are causing significant harm,” he said.

The Forest department plans to analyse the wolves’ stools once captured to determine their diet. Despite the persistent efforts, the past 45 days have seen eight fatalities and over 30 injuries attributed to these wolves.