UP: 2 wolves attack locals, leaving children injured; panic sparks across Bahraich

Bahraich (UP), Oct 12 (PTI) Panic gripped villages in Kaiserganj tehsil of the Bahraich district after two wolves attacked five locals, including four children, over a span of 12 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Forest officials confirmed that one of the wolves was injured by a departmental shooter during a rescue operation and may have died after fleeing into the nearby riverine grasslands.

The first attack occurred around 3 am on Saturday in Balirajpurwa village, where a woman named Durgawati (40) was attacked by a wolf outside her house, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav said.

Villagers rushed to her aid after hearing her screams, forcing the animal to flee.

Later in the day, four more attacks were reported around Majhara Taukli village at 12.15 pm, 12.40 pm, 1.35 pm, and 3.30 pm. The victims were identified as Meena (8), Monika (5), Shivanki (6), and Chandrasen (5).

All sustained injuries while playing or walking outside their homes. "Forest teams were already patrolling the wolf-affected areas when reports came in," Yadav told PTI.

"The injured were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, and trained shooters, along with tranquillising experts, began combing operations.

"Around 5.15 pm, a team spotted one of the wolves preparing to attack a youth near Konia village. To save the man, a shooter fired, injuring the animal in its hind leg. The wounded wolf was later seen limping toward the riverine grasslands, thick with wild sugarcane and reeds, where visibility is low even in daylight. We are tracking the injured wolf with drones and camera traps. Pugmarks have been found, and it's likely the animal is either dead or too weak to move. Our priority remains to rescue it alive," the DFO added.

Forest officials believe only one of the two aggressive wolves remains active in the area. No fresh attack was reported between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

The department has divided the wolf-affected zones into six sectors with around 30 teams, including 21 task forces, operating under a divisional command centre.

Meanwhile, villagers have formed night patrol groups armed with torches and sticks.

Since September 9, wolf attacks in Bahraich have claimed six lives, including four children and an elderly couple, and injured about 30 others.

Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a high-level rescue and containment operation, allowing lethal action only if capture attempts failed.

Last year, a similar wolf pack terrorised parts of the Mahsi tehsil during the monsoon, killing nine people before forest teams and locals managed to neutralise the threat. PTI COR CDN ANM ANM MPL MPL