Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted aerial surveys on Sunday and met with the families of those killed in wolf attacks as part of ongoing man-wildlife conflict issues.

The CM also visited the injured and inquired about their well-being. He also asked about the amount of assistance and medical support needed, including injections for the injured, and sought information on the health of the affected families and the education of their children.

Addressing the media, CM Yogi Adityanath said that the safety of the common people is the government’s top priority. He assured that until the area is free of danger from wild animals, the Forest Department and the District Administration-Police team will work continuously.

CM Yogi said that his government has categorised human-wildlife conflict as a disaster. In the event of loss of life, immediate assistance of Rs 5 lakh is provided to the victim’s family. Anti-rabies venom has been made available for those injured in wild animal attacks.

He said that 25 teams, comprising 165 members of the Forest Department, are deployed here for the safety of the common people. Besides, four thermal drones have been installed. The primary objective is to capture the wolf. However, if its aggressive behaviour escalates or it poses a threat to people, orders have been given to shoot it. This is the last option, but other options are also being worked on, he added.

The Chief Minister said that there has been some loss of life due to wolf attacks in areas adjacent to the river in the Mahsi assembly constituency over the past two months. Wolves have also injured some children. “When public representatives informed me about this for the first time, I instructed the administration to launch a campaign immediately. Subsequently, the Forest Minister and departmental officials were sent with a team to address the issue.

The CM said that within a 20-25 km area, there have been 8 casualties in the past two months. So far, five wolves have been captured, but one remains out of reach.

“The area is sensitive regarding wild animal activity. Such incidents often occur during this season when water floods the habitats of wild animals, causing them to migrate and occasionally come close to human settlements in search of prey. Attacks typically happen where they find easy targets,” he added.

CM Yogi said that the first incident occurred on July 17, when a wolf attacked a one-year-old child. The attacks continued intermittently, with the wolf targeting different villages. The interval between attacks was about four to five days. The last reported incident took place on September 1. Since then, there have been no reports of fatalities. There was information about an attack on a child on September 2-3. After this, no attacks were reported.

The CM said that the central and state governments have provided houses to 56 lakh poor people in the state so far. All the victims here also have permanent residences. However, some people did not have doors outside their houses. Arrangements were made to install doors. In the Swachh Bharat Mission, every family was given one toilet. Arrangements for lighting and smooth patrolling have also been made.

During his visit, the CM interacted warmly with the children, asking them their names and giving them chocolates. He also inquired about their education, including their school and class details.