Wolf had died after rescue team opened fire to protect a child: DFO of UP's Bahraich

Bahraich (UP), Sep 30 (PTI) A wolf that was found dead on Sunday was shot by a forest department search-and-rescue team while attempting to protect children, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav said on Tuesday.

In an official statement, the DFO said the search-and-rescue team was tracking wolf pugmarks and reached Rohitpurwa hamlet of Mjhara Taukli gram panchayat on Sunday morning.

Children were playing outside a house near sugarcane and paddy fields when a wolf, hiding in the bushes, lunged at one of the children.

A vigilant rescue team member fired a shot in the direction of the animal as a measure of safety, the DFO said, and the wolf retreated into an adjacent sugarcane field.

The team with the help of a drone located the animal around 5 pm on Sunday. When rescue personnel reached the spot the wolf was found dead, the statement said.

The carcass was taken to the district forest headquarters and a panel of doctors conducted a post-‘mortem before the body was disposed of in accordance with rules, the DFO added.

Yadav, when asked about the wolf's death had said the drone had shown the carcass and it appeared to be an adult male wolf. He had further said that identification as the man ‘eating animal blamed for recent attacks would depend on postmortem and investigation.

The wolf had been on the prowl in Mjhara Taukli and around a dozen nearby hamlets since September 9.

Between September 9 and September 30, six people including four children and an elderly couple were” killed in the area, and atleast 20 villagers injured, officials said.

A missing child's body or any trace of clothing has not been recovered. Twenty one task forces and other teams have been engaged in rescue and search operations, and public awareness drives are underway.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey of the affected area on September 27 and directed that the animal be shot if it could not be captured alive so that there is no threat to villagers. PTI COR ABN OZ OZ