Wildlife Expert Assists in Wolf Threat Mitigation in Bahraich, UP

The forest department in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, engaged Dr. Shaheer Khan, a wildlife expert, to address wolf threats. Media spread misinformation about jackals being wolves. Efforts include understanding wolf behavior and search operations using thermal drones. Dr. Khan stressed wolves' ecological importance and debunked 'man-eater' myths.

In an effort to address the ongoing wolf threat in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, the forest department has enlisted the help of Dr. Shaheer Khan, a seasoned wildlife expert from the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, with eight years of experience in wolf search and rescue missions. Dr. Khan noted that wolves are social creatures typically found in packs consisting of four to eight individuals, led by an alpha pair. In the current situation, the pack comprises six wolves.

Discussing the wolves' behavior, Dr. Khan explained to ANI that wolves might confuse human children with prey like deer, resulting in attacks. He clarified that such incidents are rare, describing them as 'child-lifting' rather than 'man-eating.' The last occurrences were recorded in 2004 and 1994. The Bahraich situation revealed that wolves may have mistaken children for prey due to open defecation habits, but no attacks have occurred in the past 7-8 days.

Highlighting the ecological significance of wolves, Dr. Khan labeled them as keystone species vital for maintaining ecological balance. Citing a Yellowstone National Park study, he described how the removal and reintroduction of wolves impacted the ecosystem, controlling deer populations and preventing soil erosion. Meanwhile, Forest General Manager Sanjay Pathak criticized media outlets for spreading false reports, wrongly identifying jackals as wolves, which hampers ongoing operations and causes confusion. After deploying thermal drones and snare cameras, officials observed that the normalizing flood conditions may have caused wolves to retreat to their natural habitat. Pathak warned that legal actions might follow if misinformation persists.

(With inputs from agencies.)