With killer wolves leaving a bloody trail, Bahraich villages came under the spotlight. While wolf attacks are not unheard of, an entire pack turning man-eater, along with animal attacks in Sitapur and Sultanpur and jackal attacks in the Mirzamurad area of Varanasi certainly calls for an investigation. Explanations offered range from flooding in the jungles to loss of habitat and prey base depletion to even behavioural aberrations. Can it be that the animals are trying to reclaim lost territory? TreeTake takes a look…
The big bad wolf, the literary villain of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and numerous other fairy tales, actually terrorised children in Uttar Pradesh. A number of villages in Bahraich and Shravasti divisions were on the edge as wolves prowled at night, mauling and killing children and even injuring adults. Villagers were tense and foresters on their toes, patrolling, trying to cage the predators to check attacks, and sensitizing people about dos and don'ts.
Wolf attacks are not unknown in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India, or even the world. But usually, they are off-and-on encounters, mostly targeting livestock. The Bahraich phenomenon assumed somewhat alarming proportions, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath compelled to step in and instruct officials to intensify patrolling and deploy additional manpower in districts sensitive to human-wildlife conflict, saying shoot-at sight should be the last resort.
But what may have caused the mayhem?
According to Shravasti SDO, forests, Ved Prakash, there has been no case in his division yet, but fear grips villages. He said the forest surrounding the affected villages was flooded, forcing the beasts to venture out and make forays in human habitations. He also said the area was poverty-stricken and though government housing schemes had reached the villages and toilets constructed, most houses had no doors and people still preferred to defecate in the open at night, exposing themselves to risk. He also cited encroachment as a cause, with fields stretching right up to the edge of the forest.
Bahraich DFO Ajeet Pratap Singh said about 50 villages were in the grip of wolf fear. He too cited flooding of the grassland near the river (where the wolves made their den) as a possible reason for their venturing out but said there was an attack in March too, when there was no rain and no flooding. So, there could be other plausible reasons too. He said the attacks were not during the day, only at night. This was because during the daytime a wolf could see and clearly make out a human figure. But at night he could not differentiate if the supine figure on a cot was human or animal and so lifted children. Old and debilitated wolves who could not hunt often found kids soft targets, he said. Another reason, he said, could be that once a wolf made a human kill, he developed a taste for human flesh.
Singh said several teams were involved in search and combing operations and patrolling and the foresters were even armed with shoot orders, which was the last resort. However, he also blamed villagers for not heeding foresters' advice despite hectic efforts to sensitise them. However, despite the foresters citing flooding in nearby jungles for wolves’ forays into animal territory, many wildlife experts are divided in their opinions. Most of them reject flooding, saying wolves tend to live in grasslands and agricultural fields, preying on small animals. Moreover, the attacks occurred in March too, when there was no flooding and no rain. They also say monsoon satellite imagery did not show any such flooding in the region from June to August. Hence, the primary reason that emerges is habitat loss and prey base depletion.
In fact, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said recently that man-animal conflict occurred due to a reduction in forest area. He said when there was waterlogging or encroachment in animal habitat, the animals would shift to another area, posing a threat to human settlements. So, foresters would have to train themselves as well as local people. He also said in the terai districts, where man-animal conflicts were reported, forests and agricultural lands were adjacent to each other. "If there is water in the forest, the animals come towards farms. If a person suddenly goes to the farm, the wild animals become violent. Electric and solar fencing should be done in the border areas," he said.
Prof Venkatesh Dutta, of the School for Environment Studies, BBAU, Lucknow said: “Wolves are attacking humans primarily due to the loss of natural prey and the incoming of wolf-dog hybrids. Due to the reduction in their fringe habitat and reduction in smaller prey such as wild rabbits, they try to meet their food requirements from human habitations, particularly targeting infants and children. Wolf packs require more meat to sustain their population and their cubs during their breeding season. The key takeaway is that wolf attacks are often a symptom of a larger issue - the encroachment of human activities on wolf habitats and the depletion of their natural prey. To truly address the problem, we need to focus on: habitat preservation and restoration and prey base conservation. By addressing these underlying issues, we can work towards a future where humans and wolves can coexist peacefully. It's a complex and ongoing challenge, but one that's essential for the well-being of both humans and wolves. Until we give wolves their rightful share of natural habitats and prey, the conflict will persist, leading to tragic consequences for both wolves and humans. It is a call to action for conservation efforts, sustainable land use planning, and a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of our ecosystems.”
Retired senior forest official Dr HS Pabla had another explanation. “Wolves do become child lifters off and on, everywhere. The reasons for this aberrant behaviour are not clear. The widely accepted trigger for this behaviour is that wolves (and other predators) somehow learn that young humans are also food and can be bagged rather easily. This may happen after one or two accidental/chance encounters. In the current case, although the wolves may be operating and moving in packs, in my view, the actual attacks on children and women were, most probably, by a single female with young pups to feed. Although the entire pack needs to be destroyed (killed or captured) as soon as possible, using all possible means, I think maximum effort should be focused on locating the den of the lactating mother. Although I do not know the terrain (other than the crop fields shown on the TV) over which the wolves are operating, the den is likely to be on the bank of a ravine or small stream or in a sugar cane field, if the wolves have adapted to the changed conditions. The mother is likely to remain near the den most of the time and can be killed or captured there. Even if the authorities capture all the other animals of the pack, the attacks on humans will likely continue if the desperate mother is out there. So, while the ongoing efforts to kill or capture the pack by any means may continue, I think the authorities should also consider deploying a team belonging to traditional hunting communities, like the Pardhis, to locate the wolf dens and concentrate their efforts around those localities. Nobody is better than them in locating and tracking wild animals.”
Another conservationist said a cross-breed animal of a dog and a wolf could be attacking the kids, rather than wolves. Such animals did not fear humans. He said the animal could have found it easier to attack children (as wolves lift game which is less than their body weight) because rural children often went to fields to attend to nature's call. Some others said the wolves could be rabid and some even ventured as far as suggesting these could be vengeance killings, as one of the wolves in the pack was thought to be lame, a result of a human assault earlier. However, most experts blame increasing human encroachment on wildlife habitat as a cause behind animal invasion in human territory.
Lame wolf, vengeance killings ruled out
About the reports in some sections of the media about an elusive wolf being lame and the attacks possibly being vengeance killings by him, foresters said they had no evidence of any lame wolf, nor did their pictures and videos show any such creature. An official said on condition of anonymity that it was true that wolves generally moved in packs of 6 to 8 but there could also be more or less. He also said after 20 days of ‘Operation Bhediya’ (in which we captured all five wolves including the female mother), there was massive awareness among the people. But there was another dimension to this awareness. Since the area was backward and poverty-stricken, people also tried to pass off any animal bite, like that of a dog attack, as an injury caused by a wolf, hoping to get compensation. "That is why we rely on medical reports of doctors and even go in for forensic investigation, if necessary," he said.
All about the wolf
The Indian wolf is medium-sized, with thin fur. It is greyish-red to reddish-white with grey tones. The hairs are grizzled with black, particularly on the back. The limbs are paler than the body, and the underparts are almost completely white. Pups are born sooty-brown, with a milk-white patch on the chest that fades with age. Indian wolves generally live in packs of 6-8 and generally, they are not known to howl. However, like other animals, they are territorial. They hunt at night, each member of the pack hunting for its food. But when chasing large game such as antelopes, the attack is in pairs. One wolf acts as a decoy while the other attacks from behind. Interestingly, Indian wolves are monogamous, which means that they take a mate for life. The breeding season is from mid-October to late December. In lairs, females give birth to 5-6 pups that are born blind. Their eyes open after 9-12 days of birth. The entire pack usually helps in caring for newborns and when the pups are around 3 months old, they are ready to leave the den. Indian wolves become reproductively mature after around 2 years of age.
Why wolves are ecologically important
They have a role in the food chain. They feed upon a wide variety of animal species, so they may control the numbers of their populations, thus benefiting different animal and plant species of their range. Wolves are often referred to as a “keystone species”. Other plants and animals in the ecosystem depend on a keystone species. So, if there are no wolves, there is likely to be a drastic change in the ecosystem. Wolves regulate prey populations, helping keep numbers in check. They also help to improve soil and water quality. They can help reduce the prevalence of infectious and genetic diseases in prey species. The carcasses that wolves leave behind serve as food for other animals. Wolves help promote biodiversity and maintain ecological balance. Wolves are generally thought of as fierce, wily killer hunters prone to picking up small children. It is time this perspective is changed to consider the animal’s overall role in the habitat, say environmentalists. Wolves are indeed skilled hunters but their role in the ecosystem is to keep populations of smaller mammals in check. Through predation, they ensure the cycling of nutrients and the well-being of the habitat’s flora and fauna. Unfortunately, the natural grasslands, the habitat of wolves, have fallen prey to construction and agricultural activity and unchecked development, leading to increased interactions between wolves and humans, rue green activists.
Threats to the wolf
Apart from habitat loss, wolves face unregulated hunting and loss of prey too. Despite being protected, they are killed as they are thought of as predators and a danger to livestock. Urbanisation and encroachment are destroying vast tracts of grasslands, forcing wolves to come close to human settlements for food and shelter. According to a WII report, no conservation efforts are being made in India for wolves. The habitats of the Indian grey wolf are becoming isolated due to the expansion of human settlements, deforestation and cropland expansion. This also leads to interbreeding with stray dogs. Hybridisation with feral dogs may lead to the spread of diseases like rabies, parvo, and distemper among wolves. Besides, they also lose genetic diversity and their offspring may be less able to adapt to shifting environmental conditions. Climate change can have a drastic effect on the distribution and availability of prey and water for wolves. With shrinking habitats and limited food supply, wolves invade human settlements in a quest for prey, mainly livestock, which leads to encounters, and often wolves are killed or trapped. Many Indians, especially those in rural areas, lack awareness about the need to protect wildlife and ecosystems. It is imperative to educate the locals that wolves too are important and cannot be packed off to the moon.
Government agencies and environmental organisations should work together to check encroachments on jungle land, provide corridors for animals, and reclaim their lost habitats.
Retired senior forest official Anuj Saxena said: “Efforts should be made to check habitat loss and food base depletion, as these are the primary reasons that force wolves towards human settlements.” He said sometimes it also happened that a wolf killed a human and after that, he developed a taste for human flesh. But this was a once-in-a-while occurrence, not a general trend. Saxena also blamed growing encroachments as the main reason for shrinking habitats and said regulations should be enforced strictly to check this. “Marking the area with pillars is of no use. People uproot the pillars and encroach. Then, a survey is required again to determine the boundaries of forest land. During my service period, I suggested that a tarmac road should be built around forests. It would serve a dual purpose: mark the forest boundary and help the staff in patrolling easily. To the objection of too much expenditure, I suggested it could be done in phases. After all, all the highways were not built all at once. But unfortunately, there were no takers for my suggestion.”
He said tree felling and encroachment were both detrimental to wildlife but the latter was more so because another tree could be planted in place of the one cut down but it was very difficult to reclaim land. He also suggested that there should be a buffer zone kind of area in which village fields should start at some distance of a few hundred metres from the forest land to deter animal forays in farms. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikat also suggested sometime back that farmers should leave their fields fallow for some time to make the animals go back to their natural habitat.
Coexistence of key importance
Man-animal conflict, whether involving wolves, felines, or even tuskers, is unavoidable. But efforts can certainly be made to create conditions in which the interests of both humans as well as wild animals are protected, underlining the imperative need for a transition from conflict to co-existence. All should remember survival would be impossible without all that nature offers and that ecological systems are complex and interlinked. To protect wildlife and at the same time check loss of lives, crops, and property due to animal attacks, short-term mitigation and damage control measures are of no use. It is the underlying causes that have to be tackled, feel environmentalists.
Here are some things to know about coexisting with wolves :
Whenever one encounters a wolf, one must keep one’s distance, though wolves usually themselves avoid humans. One should never run or turn away.
Experts also suggest that on coming face to face with a wolf, one must act aggressively and maintain eye contact. A person can also make use of sticks or stones to scare away or ward off wolves.
Most important of all, one should understand wolf behaviour. Barring exceptional or stray cases, wolves are usually not interested in humans and don't categorize them as prey. When encountering humans, they may assess the situation before drawing back.
People should understand that their activities can affect wolf behaviour. If they expand their area of activity, for example, their agricultural fields, the territory of the wild animals is reduced.
Last but not least, people should realise the importance of man-wild relationships and act accordingly.
Let us remember, howsoever ferocious, animals do not understand man-made boundaries, they know only territory. They are not familiar with civic laws but know only the law of the jungle. They only know the game, not man or animal. But they also feel hunger, thirst, fear, threat, misery, and pain!
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Feral children: Fact or fiction
When Rudyard Kipling penned the story of ‘Mowgli’ in ‘The Jungle Book’, in which a pack of wolves brought up a human child and taught him to survive in the jungle, it was a runaway hit and continues to amuse both children and adults even today. But few know that Kipling was inspired by the writings of William Henry Sleeman (famous for suppression of thuggee). Sleeman had written about wild children being raised by wolves with his notes on six cases. His account was first published in the first volume of his Journey through the kingdom of Oude in 1848-1850 (1858). It was reprinted in 1852 as An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens, by an Indian Official and in The Zoologist (1888 12 (135): 87–98). In 1976, a boy (later called Ramu) was captured in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh in 1976. He was called the wolf boy as he had been found in the company of wolves. Not only this, he had acquired many of their traits and characteristics. Ramu’s nails were like claws. He walked on all fours and only ate raw meat. He was sent to a charitable institution in Lucknow where he later died. Was he reared by wolves? No one knows and accounts vary. In the early 20th century, two girls Amla and Kamla were alleged to have been raised by wolves, in Midnapore, west Bengal. They were allegedly rescued from a den of wolves and showed wolf-like traits. In fact, as per a prominent English publication, at least 50 cases of feral children were reported in India in the past 100 years.
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