LUCKNOW: Indian authorities on Thursday captured one of three wolves that killed six children and a woman in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh over the past two weeks.
More than 30 villages in Bahriach district, which is densely forested, have been attacked by wolves in recent days, said Akash Deep Badhawan, a senior official with India's Forest Services.
During the summer, it is common for villagers in India to sleep on mats or beds made of woven ropes outside their homes, where it is cooler, making victims vulnerable.
Three wolves were identified as the killers and tracked using drones equipped with cameras and thermal mapping software. Authorities are still hunting the other two wolves.
“The district administration and the forest department have deployed several teams to protect the villages and capture them,” Badhawan said.
“The situation is a bit complicated, as this species of fauna is very clever by nature. We have advised the villagers not to sleep in the open with their children.”
While leopard and tiger attacks are periodically reported in India, wolf attacks are rare.
Bahriach authorities have also installed loudspeakers and spotlights to deter the animals. Forest officials from five nearby districts have been deployed to help capture the animals, Badhawan said.
“We are planning to use elephant dung and urine to keep wolf packs at bay in residential areas,” he said, adding that wolves typically live in packs of six to 10 and avoid areas where large animals such as elephants inhabit.
“Burning the dung would create the illusion of elephant presence in the area.”
