The spate of wolf attacks in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich, which has killed eight people, including seven children, might be due to the animals seeking revenge, a senior official of the Forest Department told. Sanjay Pathak, general manager of UP Forest Corporation, said wolves have a tendency to seek revenge if their homes or children have been harmed.

The increase in wolf attacks on humans has baffled experts, as the animals are known to be gentle and docile in nature. Pathak said the wolves are mostly targeting children.

"Wolves have a habit of taking revenge. If someone has harmed their home or their children, then they take revenge on humans," Pathak told, underscoring that the angle cannot be ruled out.

Villagers of Ramuapur in Bahraich claimed that they had spotted wolf pups at a den located around two km inside a sugarcane field. However, heavy rain led to flooding in the area, causing the swollen Ghaghara river to inundate the 6-foot-long den.

The villagers claimed the pups might have been killed due to the flooding, and now the parent wolf was taking revenge. Wildlife experts also believe that the wolf cubs might have been harmed by humans in some way, prompting the ferocious attacks.

The disruption of the habitat of the wolves might have also pushed them towards human settlements.

However, it is not the first time that wolves have spread terror in Uttar Pradesh. In 1996 in Pratapgarh, over 10 children were attacked by wolves. It was later found that some farmers, who found a litter of wolf pups in a shallow cave, destroyed their habitat.

So far, four of the six "man-eater" wolves have been captured, with fear ensnaring the villages of Bahraich. The roads turn desolate after sunset and villagers have taken to venturing out with sticks and iron rods.

The government has formed a 10-member team to capture the remaining two wolves. Uttar Pradesh Forest Minister Arun Saxena said a final operation to capture the wolves had been started.

"The 10-member team, including two rangers, has been given the responsibility of tranquillising the wolves. If the wolves cannot be tranquilised, orders have also been given to kill them. However, first, an attempt will be made to control the wolves by tranquillising them," Saxena said.

Source: India Today