Catch or kill orders out for wolves

‘Catch or eliminate’ orders have been issued for the two elusive wolves linked to the deaths of 10 people, including nine children, in Bahraich.
“Capturing them is a top priority. But if nothing works out and the threat to human life continues, then permission is granted to the team to eliminate the animal,” said Sanjay Srivastava, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) who issued the order for the team in Bahraich.
The orders have been issued under Section 11 in Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which permits elimination of wild animals in certain cases.
For the ‘elimination’ operation, shooters are being selected from the forest department and also police departments at the local level.
“These shooters will be part of the field operations but in the second line. We will still carry on efforts to capture the wolves either in trap, cage, net or via tranquilizing gun, and will keep trying till the last moment. The animal is small in size unlike a tiger or a leopard, hence, catching them is still a better option than eliminating,” said Srivastava, who issued the order as chief wildlife warden, Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the seriousness of the threat which is increasing every day in about 50 villages in Bahraich, fresh teams have been deployed in addition to teams from Devipatan and Ayodhya forest divisions that were already combing the area for the past month.
Now two additional principal chief conservators of forests, Sanjay Pathak and Girish, have been sent to Bahraich. Four more divisional forest officers and four SDMs have been deployed with separate teams, which takes the number of people engaged in combing operations to over 150, apart from the police and other department staff.
Under the elimination process, a report is made about the behaviour, the risk from the animal and threat to human life. An assessment is made where the forest officer who takes a decision for elimination of the killer animal, principal chief conservator of forests, Renu Singh, in this case, makes a final decision to kill.
“This killing is done only when the animal is in a position to kill our officers/staff. Unless and until this situation arises, the effort to capture/trap animals goes on,” said the head of the forest force, SK Sharma.
Process for elimination of an animal
Section 11 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, says, “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force the chief wildlife warden may, if is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule I has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reasons therefor, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted.”
This can only be done after the chief wildlife warden is satisfied that such animal cannot be captured, tranquilised or translocated. No such captured animal shall be kept in captivity unless the chief wildlife warden is satisfied that such animal cannot be rehabilitated in the wild and the reasons for the same are recorded in writing, says section 11 of the Wildlife Act.
The process of capture or translocation, as the case may be, of such an animal shall be made in such a manner as to cause minimum trauma to the said animal.
The killing or wounding in good faith of any wild animal in defence of oneself or of any other person shall not be an offence provided that nothing in this sub-section shall exonerate any person who, when such defence becomes necessary, was committing any act in contravention of any provision of this act or any rule or order made thereunder.
Any wild animal killed or wounded in defence of any person shall be Government property, reads the Wildlife Act.