‘Loss of grasslands impacts wolves more than any predator. Wolf habitats are in human-dominated landscapes’
‘Loss of grasslands impact wolves more than any predator. Wolf habitats are in human-dominated landscapes’ Professor and senior scientist at Dehradun’s Wildlife Institute of India, Bilal Habib, who has studied wolves in India for 24 years now, goes behind the wolf attacks in UP and suggests ways to minimise human-wolf conflict in conversation with TOI. Excerpts:
What’s behind the rise in wolf attacks in UP’s Bahraich?
The unfortunate wolf attacks on children and others in Bahraich have triggered strong emotional reactions in communities that can often lead to retaliatory killings. This can significantly reduce wolf populations, particularly in regions where they’re already vulnerable. There are many reasons for such attacks, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of natural prey, and food scarcity when pups are growing. When there’s scarcity of prey, wolves look for other options. And availability of vulnerable prey and the landscape around Bahraich district has made it easier for them.
The tall grass cover allows wolves to hide and wait for the right opportunity. The fact that people sleep outside their houses is a factor wolves, which have great behavioural adaptability, have exploited. The attacks are always spearheaded by the alpha in the pack. In this case, a pack of wolves comprising 6 in all, probably 2 adults and 4 pups from a recent litter has learnt how to negotiate through villages and target children. Why they should attack children is obvious, since the latter are likely to put up least resistance.
The unfortunate wolf attacks on children and others in Bahraich have triggered strong emotional reactions in communities that can often lead to retaliatory killings. This can significantly reduce wolf populations, particularly in regions where they’re already vulnerable. There are many reasons for such attacks, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of natural prey, and food scarcity when pups are growing. When there’s scarcity of prey, wolves look for other options. And availability of vulnerable prey and the landscape around Bahraich district has made it easier for them.
The tall grass cover allows wolves to hide and wait for the right opportunity. The fact that people sleep outside their houses is a factor wolves, which have great behavioural adaptability, have exploited. The attacks are always spearheaded by the alpha in the pack. In this case, a pack of wolves comprising 6 in all, probably 2 adults and 4 pups from a recent litter has learnt how to negotiate through villages and target children. Why they should attack children is obvious, since the latter are likely to put up least resistance.