Urine-Soaked Dolls, Drones Join Hunt For Killer Wolves In UP's Bahraich

Over the past two months, a series of tragic wolf attacks in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district has claimed the lives of at least eight people, including seven children and a woman.

In response to the escalating danger, the forest department has launched an operation known as "Operation Bhediya" to capture the wolves responsible for the attacks.

So far, four out of the six wolves from the suspected pack have been captured. However, with two wolves still at large, the local residents remain anxious about further attacks.

To address these concerns, the forest department has adopted an innovative and somewhat unconventional approach to lure the remaining wolves.

Officials have started using large soft toys, such as teddy bears, dressed in colorful clothes and soaked in children's urine, as bait to trap the wolves.

The rationale behind this strategy is based on the wolves' tendency to target children. By introducing soft toys with a scent that simulates the presence of children, the forest department aims to create "a false sense of human presence near the traps."

Divisional Forest Officer Ajit Pratap Singh explained that "the natural human scent may attract the wolves closer to the traps."

In addition to this unique method, the forest department is also employing thermal drones to track the wolves and using firecrackers and noise to drive them toward deserted areas where traps have been set.

Another official compared the use of these teddy dolls to scarecrows used in fields, noting that they serve as a form of "false bait" to protect vulnerable targets from predators.

The forest department has also turned to a more traditional deterrent by utilizing elephant dung. The dung is set afire to create a scent that simulates the presence of elephants, which are naturally avoided by wolves.

As the official stated, "By creating this illusion, we aim to push them away from inhabited areas."

This approach is intended to steer the wolves away from populated regions and toward areas where traps with bait have been strategically placed.