New Delhi: The Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh is living in constant fear of wolf attacks after the animals became man-eaters and killed several people in the region. Several villages in the district have reported attacks of wolves in the last two months. Recently on September 2, a five-year-old girl was injured in a wolf attack at night just a night after a child was killed and some other women injured in a similar incident in Bahraich. Since July 17, people in Bahraich have been living in fear of the wolves as the animals have killed eight people including seven children so far. Apart from that, 31 people have been injured in the attacks of the wolves.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with senior officers of the police, forest department and district heads to discuss this situation and has ordered officials to come up with a plan to reduce the conflicts between humans and animals and ensure the safety of people in the region. As the focus is on wolves and how to tackle and prevent them from harming humans in Bahraich, we take a look at the only wolf sanctuary in the country.
Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary: The sole wolf sanctuary in the world
Located in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary is a part of the Betla National Park and is the only wolf sanctuary in India. In 1976, it became a wildlife sanctuary to protect the Indian wolf. The sanctuary is in the Mahuadanr CD Block of Latehar and is under the administrative control of the Deputy Director, South Division, Medininagar under Palamau Tiger Reserve Circle. The sanctuary covers a total area of 63.256 sq. km.
How many wolves are there in Mahuadanr?
Established to protect the Indian wolves, the animals have several dens in the park where they nest and rear their young ones. In 1979, the first counting took place in the sanctuary and there were 49 wolves. Over the next several decades, the population increased substantially and in 2004, it reached 568. However, in 2009, there were only 58 wolves in the sanctuary and the number increased in 2020 to 120 wolves.
About the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary
The forest in the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary is surrounded by crop fields and the Burha River is the major source of water of the place. It has a rich ecology and has 78 wolf breeding dens in the sanctuary’s 13 protected forests. Overall, the sanctuary is home to 27 mammal species, 19 bird species, 30 species of butterflies, 8 species of amphibians and 18 reptile species. One can find plants like Dhaura, Bel, Khair, Piar, Salai, Karonda, Kendu, and Ziziphus in the sanctuary.
Located in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary is a part of the Betla National Park and is the only wolf sanctuary in India. In 1976, it became a wildlife sanctuary to protect the Indian wolf. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
