Fresh wolf attacks in Bahraich, two injured
Amid a spate of incidents in 17 days, Yogi to visit Majhara Taukli village today, review ground situation; former DFO, under whose leadership five wolves were trapped last year, has been recalled from Ghazipur to capture the predators
There was no let-up in the terror unleashed by wild animals, suspected to be wolves, in Bahraich as a 56-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man were injured in separate attacks by a predator at Balkhanpurwa and Dayalpurwa villages in Kaiserganj on Friday, officials said.
Such incidents have become a regular feature in Majhara Taukli and nearby villages of Kaiserganj tehsil, which are among the worst affected, over the last fortnight.
In 17 days, three children were killed in suspected wolf attacks and a three-year-old boy has been missing for a week.
The situation has drawn the attention of the state government. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will visit Majhara Taukli on Saturday afternoon to meet the affected families and review the ground situation.
According to information provided by city magistrate Rajesh Prasad, the chief minister will conduct an aerial survey of the wildlife-affected areas before reaching village Manjhara Taukli in Kaiserganj tehsil at 2:05 p.m.
During his visit, the chief minister will interact with villagers affected by recent wildlife incidents and review the situation on the ground. After the programme in Bahraich, he will leave for Shravasti district at 2:45 pm.
The head of the state’s forest force Sunil Chaudhary has directed officials on the ground to keep tabs of the movement of wolves and utilise thermal images to track them. Chaudhary, the principal chief conservator of forest Uttar Pradesh, said that teams have been increased as per the need and all measures are being taken.
Earlier, a five-year-old girl of Paragpurwa hamlet of Majhara Taukli was killed on September 9. Three days later, a three-year-old girl died on September 12 following a wild animal attack. A three-year-old boy, who was dragged away on September 20, is still missing.
Another three-year-old child, resident of Baba Patav hamlet of Majhara Taukli, was killed on September 24.
More than a dozen people sustained injuries during this period.
The wild animals have evaded multiple forest teams and high-tech surveillance equipment so far.
As for the latest attack, SDO Rashid Jameel stated it occurred around 5.30 am on Friday when Savitri Devi (56), wife of Hanuman, was feeding her cattle. She sustained a shoulder injury. Alerted by her screams, villagers rushed to the spot, forcing the predator to retreat. Savitri Devi was admitted to the district hospital. Around the same time, Harischandra (45), a resident of Dayalpurwa, was also injured in a wolf attack but was discharged after first aid at the Kaiserganj community health centre.
A day earlier, a seven-year-old boy was attacked while playing outside his home in Devnathpurwa hamlet of Majhara Taukli village.
The wolf was dragging the child away when his brother and villagers intervened, striking the animal with sticks and forcing it to release the boy. The seriously injured boy was rushed to the district hospital, where he is still under treatment.
District magistrate Akshay Tripathi and superintendent of police Ram Nayan Singh visited the site of Thursday’s incident, met the child’s family, and assured them of full support. On Friday, the DM also visited the medical college, where he checked on Savitri Devi, the seven-year-old boy and two other patients who are recovering from earlier wild animal attacks.
District magistrate Akshay Tripathi said four fatalities (including the missing child) due to wildlife attacks have been reported in the Kaiserganj range of the district so far.
“In view of the current situation, the administration has conducted a survey of all children under the age of five in the affected areas, and additional security has been deployed at their homes, which will continue until the threat of attacks subsides,” he said.
The district magistrate further stated that more than 20 forest department teams are patrolling the affected zones round the clock. In addition, 21 teams from the panchayat and revenue departments are also working in the region to raise awareness and identify unsafe houses, he added.
Awareness campaigns are also being run by dedicated teams to alert residents and guide them on precautionary measures against wildlife threats, he said.
With no wolf captured so far, authorities have recalled former Bahraich DFO Ajit Pratap Singh from Ghazipur. Known for his successful operations last year — when five wolves were trapped under his leadership after killing nine children and injuring over 50 people in Mahsi tehsil — Singh has begun inspecting the current hotspots and promised a fresh strategy to trap the predators soon. A wolf was killed by locals back then.
Amid panic across Kaiserganj, residents say even basic daily activities like sending children to school or going to the fields now feel like life-threatening risks.
Chandra Prakash Verma, headmaster of the primary school in Majhara Taukli, said that the number of children attending classes has fallen.
Deen Narayan, the village head representative, said, “Children in the village are no longer seen going to school, playing, and even stepping outside has completely stopped.”
Narayan said doors have already been installed in about a dozen houses, with more such work underway to secure residences.
