Bahraich wildlife disaster Experts debunk myths around wolves stress need for preservation

Bahraich (UP), Sep 12 (PTI) Wolves are "shy" pack animals showing empathy towards their kind, say wildlife experts while stressing the need for conserving the species on the brink of extinction amid a spate of attacks in Bahraich and the Uttar Pradesh government ordering to shoot the animals, if necessary.
    In Bahraich's Mahsi tehsil, 10 people, including nine children have been killed in these attacks since March and around three dozen people are left injured in human-wildlife conflicts in the area with the government declaring it as a "wildlife disaster".
    Among the 10 deaths, eight have died in the last two months while residents of 50 villages live in fear.    
    Since July 17, the state government has launched an 'Operation Bhediya' to catch the wolves - five of which have already been rescued - efforts are underway to find the sixth wolf from the pack, whose images were seen through a drone camera last month.
    Sanjai Pathak, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer leading "Operation Bhediya" in Bahraich and former Field Director of Dudhwa National Park, addressed common misconceptions about wolves and their behaviour.
    Pathak criticised the negative portrayal of wolves, saying, "Humans view wolves with great prejudice. For instance, the main accused in the Kolkata rape case is referred to as a 'hungry wolf'. However, wolves are generally shy and social creatures."
    He said wolves are monogamous, mating exclusively with the same partner and respecting older pack members.
    Pathak further stressed the significance of wolves' communication through pheromones which are chemical messengers released into the air by animals.
    "Wolves have a more acute sense of smell and perception compared to other animals and humans," he said, as most modern dogs have ancestry from wolves.
    Wolves also hold cultural significance in parts of India, for instance in Bihar people worship wolf dens and it is a tradition for newlyweds to visit and offer prayers near these dens, he said.
    A senior scientist and wolf expert from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun, Dr. Shaheer Khan said wolves are "group-living social animals."
    He detailed the two types of wolves found in India: 'Canis lupus chanko' in the mountainous regions and 'Canis lupus pallipes' in the Terai regions like Bahraich.
    "These animals live in packs led by an alpha pair that raises offspring and cares for older wolves who can no longer hunt," Khan said.
    He said that the alpha pair hunts for the pack, feeding the elders first before eating with the young ones.
    "Once the pups mature, they leave the pack to form new pairs in different territories. Siblings do not mate with each other," Khan said highlighting the pack's structure.
    He also stressed the WII's dual mission to protect both wolves and humans, saying, "We aim to raise awareness about the positive aspects of wolves, while also working to capture man-eating wolves."
    Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Gyan Prakash Singh, who previously served as Divisional Forest Officer at Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and now contributes to WII, said wolves typically live in pairs but do not allow sibling pairs to remain together.
    He said a she wolf's mother will expel her adult offspring from the pack to prevent inbreeding.
    Singh drew parallels to tigers and leopards, whose mothers also separate their young at a certain age, but said that "wolves' mothers are particularly strict about this separation to prevent incest."
    Principal Scientist and Head of the Wildlife Centre at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Dr. AM Pawde said wolves are empathetic animals.
    "If a female wolf's pups are hungry and she has insufficient milk, another female wolf, who has never reproduced, will prepare her milk to nurse the pups," he said highlighting the animal's sensitivity.
     Beyond India, the animal finds cultural significance in Turkey, particularly the grey wolf (Canis lupus). It holds a prominent place in Turkish folklore and as a national animal.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)