Bahraich: A five-year-old girl was injured in a wolf attack late last night just a night after a child was killed and some other women injured in a similar incident in UP’s Bahraich that has been gripped by wolf terror since July 17. So far, eight people, seven of them children, have been killed in wolf attacks in the area and 31 injured.
The latest attack took place on Monday night in the Mahsi area of the Bahraich and the girl has been admitted to a government hospital for treatment. At the same time, authorities ramp up efforts to catch the remaining wolves. Four wolves have already been caught by the administration and efforts are on to catch the remaining ones, District Magistrate Monika Rani said.
What is posing a hurdle is the presence of more than a hundred revenue villages in the district, with the canids striking a new village every four to five days, she said.
Yogi Adityanath orders intensified patrolling, increased deployment
On Monday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with senior officers of the police, forest department and district heads to discuss the unfolding situation in the state in the wake of the recent wolf attacks and leopard. He asked the officials to devise a strategy to minimise the human-animal conflict and ensure the safety of each citizen in the region and asked the districts vulnerable to attack to stay on high alert.
Following the chief minister’s instructions, Forest Minister Arun Kumar Saxena is continuously visiting these sensitive districts and will review the situation in Pilibhit and Kheri on Tuesday.
The forest department has also been directed to deploy additional manpower and ensure there is no shortage of equipment. Adityanth also stressed the importance of public awareness for protection efforts and advised providing factual information to the media on time and seeking cooperation from public representatives.
Patrolling should be increased in Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, Shravasti, Moradabad, Hapur, Sitapur, Gonda, Meerut, Bijnor, and Bareilly, with joint patrols being conducted, he added.
According to officials, eight people, including seven children, have lost their lives and more than 30 people have been injured in wolf attacks in less than two months. Nearby Sitapur district has also reported animal attacks, while leopard sightings have been recorded in Rampur, Plibhit, and other areas in the wake of the monsoon season.
