MP: Hyena or jackal? Forest officials puzzled as six die in attack by unidentified wild animal

Indore/Barwani, June 4 (PTI) Amid a mystery surrounding the identity of a wild animal that bit 17 people last month, leading to the death of six due to suspected rabies infection, in MP's Barwani district and villagers claim of spotting a hyena, forest officials now suspect the attacking animal could be a jackal.

A forest official on Wednesday night said the carcass of a jackal was found in a dry well during the search operation.

"Statements of victims and eyewitnesses strengthen the belief that the jackal had attacked villagers on May 5," Barwani's Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashish Bansod told reporters.

He said the carcass appeared to be about 25 days old.

According to Bansod, local people might have killed the jackal by tying its hind legs and throwing it in the well following the May 5 incident when 17 people were bitten by an unidentified animal.

"Before cremating the jackal as per norms, we had taken a sample from its carcass. This sample will be sent to Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur to ascertain whether the jackal was infected with rabies," he added.

According to officials, the yet-to-be-identified animal might be infected with the rabies virus, though confirmation is awaited pending lab reports.

The attack occurred in the early hours of May 5 in Limbai village, located about 4.5 km away from the forest boundary, and nearby areas, where 17 people were bitten while sleeping outside their homes due to the heat.

All the victims were administered anti-rabies vaccines, officials said. However, between May 23 and June 2, six of them succumbed, officials said.

Earlier in the day, Forest Range Officer Vikas Jamre told PTI that locals reported spotting a hyena in the area around the time of the incident.

Barwani Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Surekha Jamre said that a 35-year-old man injured in the attack is currently stable and receiving treatment at the district hospital.

"All others who were bitten are under observation and in stable condition," she said.

To ascertain if the victims contracted rabies, brain tissue samples from one of the deceased and saliva samples from surviving patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, she added.

Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, dean of Indore-based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, said, "We suspect that six people from Barwani district died due to rabies. To confirm this, the brain tissue of a deceased person has also been sent to a laboratory in Delhi for further testing. The report is awaited".

The state government has given a compensation of Rs 8 lakh each to the families of the six deceased.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav spoke to family members of villagers mauled by the unidentified animal over the phone and assured them of all possible help.

Khargone-Barwani Lok Sabha member Gajendra Singh Patel, Rajya Sabha member Sumer Singh Solanki, and other leaders of BJP reached Limbai village and interacted with the kin of victims. PTI COR HWP MAS NP NSK