Uttar Pradesh
Operation Bhediya
- 04 Sep 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Recently, the forest department launched ‘Operation Bhediya (Wolf)’ after a series of attacks by a pack of wolves in Mehsi tehsil, which resulted in the deaths of six children and a woman, and around 30 injuries over the past 45 days.
Key Points
- Operation Bhediya: Aims to capture and neutralize a pack of wolves responsible for recent attacks.
- Technologies and Strategies:Utilization of drone cameras and thermal drone mapping to locate and track the wolves.
- Approval has been obtained for tranquilizing the wolves to safely capture them.
- The Chief Wildlife Warden can allow hunting of a Schedule I wild animal if it poses a danger to humans by issuing a written order explaining the reasons.
- Wolf: It is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN, listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and included in Appendix I of CITES.
- Schedules in WPA, 1972:
- Schedule I: Protects endangered species with strict penalties; prohibits hunting except in extreme cases (e.g., Black Buck, Snow Leopard).
- Schedule II: High protection and trade prohibition for certain species (e.g., Assamese Macaque, Indian Cobra).
- Schedules III & IV: Protects non-endangered species with lesser penalties for violations (e.g., Chital, Flamingo).
- Schedule V: Lists vermin species that can be hunted (e.g., Common Crows, Rats).
- Schedule VI: Regulates cultivation and trade of specified plants, requiring prior permission (e.g., Blue Vanda, Kuth).
