In the second consecutive attack in as many days, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl child was killed on Monday in a wolf attack in Bahraich. With this killing, the death toll in the district has risen to 10 since March 18. Among the deceased, nine are children below eight years of age and a woman aged 55 years.
A wolf attacked and killed a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, Anjali, around 4 am, while a woman sustained injuries in a separate incident of wolf attack late on Sunday night.
According to forest officials, a wolf attacked and took away the girl from Garethi Gurdattsingh village under Hardi police station area. The girl was sleeping with her mother when she was allegedly lifted by a wolf. Later, the mutilated body of the girl was found about 500 meters from the village.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Ajit Pratap Singh said both hands of the deceased girl were eaten by the animal and several puncture wounds were found on the body. On getting information, the police reached the spot and sent the body for a post-mortem examination.
Talking about the girl’s killing, village head Uma Kant Dixit said that there was no door in the house. A wolf easily entered it and lifted the girl. He said, “People in the area are scared after the incident.”
Dixit said teams of forest officials had reached the village and a search operation was being carried out in the area.
District magistrate, Bahraich, Monika Rani and SP, Vrinda Shukla, visited Nauwan Garethi hamlet of village Garethi Gurdattsingh and consoled the family members of the girl killed.
Earlier, late on Sunday night, one Kamla Devi, 56, wife of Mohan Lal, was attacked by a wolf in Kotiya village, under the same Hardi PS area. She was rushed to the community health center (CHC) Mahsi, from where she was referred to the district hospital.
The DM said all the teams deployed for the Operation Bhediya were working round the clock and soon the wolf would be captured. The DM also visited the district hospital and inquired about the woman who was attacked and injured in village Kotiya late on Sunday night.
Even though the forest department has captured four wolves, incidents of wolf attacks continue unabated in the Mahsi Tehsil area. Four persons including two children were attacked and injured and a girl child was killed in the past two days.
On Sunday, two of the elusive wolves were picked up in an infrared drone camera and the forest department teams were very close when the wolf managed to sneak from the trap.
Dr Deepak Verma, a veterinary expert, who was also deployed for the operation, said there is a pattern in wolf attacks. They repeat the attack after two or three days. He said after the recent attack “we are trying to trace the location along the river basin. He said the location of the wolves was found in the morning but they disappeared after a while. He said every time wolves choose to attack a new village and at a distance five to six kilometers from the previously attacked village.
A pack of six wolves was identified in drone camera footage and it was supposed that the pack was responsible for all the killings and attacks. Out of the six, the forest department has captured four wolves but two are still running free.
Dist Admn Bandobast
Police and PAC have been deployed in the area covering about 100 villages of Mahsi Tehsil. BJP MLA from Mahsi, Sureshwar Singh, is also camping and making people aware in the area.
Chief wildlife conservator Renu Singh, district magistrate Monica Rani, superintendent of police Vrinda Shukla and other concerned officials are also visiting the affected area. Forest teams of five districts have been patrolling round the clock, crackers were being burst all night to keep the predators at bay but despite all precautionary measures the wolves have remained elusive.
Shariq Rais Siddiqui
