Heightened vigil along forest stretch in UP's Balrampur as two killed in animal attacks

Balrampur (UP), Dec 27 (PTI) Two women were killed in separate wildlife attacks in the Sohailwa forest area along the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, prompting the administration to order heightened surveillance and awareness measures, officials said on Saturday.

According to forest department sources, a 20-year-old Nepalese woman, identified as Urmila, a resident of Amoli village in Kapilvastu district of Nepal, was attacked by a wild animal on Thursday while collecting firewood in the Belbhariya beat of the Bhambhar range. Her mutilated body was later found in the forest.

Circle Officer Jitendra Kumar said postmortem examination of the woman's body was conducted and, after completing necessary formalities, it was handed over to her family on Friday.

In another incident, Kamla Devi (22), a woman from the Tharu community and a resident of Vishnupur Koder village, was attacked by a leopard while she had gone into the forest with other women to collect firewood. The leopard dragged her into the forest, officials said.

Hearing the women's screams, villagers gathered at the spot and, with the help of the forest department, Kamla's body was later recovered from the forest.

Senior forest officials, including Divisional Forest Officer Gaurav Garg and Chief Conservator of Forests Ashok Prasad Sinha, visited the site to assess the situation.

Regional Forest Officer Manoj Kumar said trap cameras were being installed at several locations and two cages were being placed near the incident sites. He added that four teams have been deployed to track the animals responsible for the attacks, while awareness drives are being conducted in villages located near the forest.

Balrampur District Magistrate Vipin Jain has directed officials to intensify public awareness campaigns against man-animal conflict. He said forest department camps would be set up at sensitive locations and regular patrolling would be carried out by dedicated teams.

The district magistrate also directed officials to use drone cameras to help capture violent animals. He said postmortem reports have been received and financial assistance would be provided to the victims' families within 24 hours.

Warning of strict action in case of negligence, Jain said accountability would be fixed if deaths occur due to lapses in handling wildlife threats.

Over the past month, at least five people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old child, have been killed in wildlife attacks in the Sohailwa forest area, officials said, adding that repeated incidents have created fear among locals. PTI COR CDN ARB ARB