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Wolf attacks in Bahraich continue, 2 more kids injured
Two more children were injured in wolf attacks in Bahraich, leading villagers to block the Bahraich-Sitapur Highway. Over 24 people have been injured and five children killed since January.
Bahraich: Two more children were attacked and injured in wolf attack in Gangapurwa and Bambhauri villages under Hardi police station area on Saturday morning. Angry over the continuous attacks , villagers blocked the Bahraich-Sitapur Highway on Saturday.
To recall, about 20 incidents of wolves’ attacks have been reported in several villages of Mahsi Tahsil in which more than 24 people, including children, have been injured and three kids killed in the past one month. A total of five children had lost their lives so far due to wolf attacks while 29 people were said to be injured since January .
Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Mahsi Akhilesh Kumar Singh, divisional forest officer (DFO) Bahraich Ajit Pratap Singh, tehsildar Mahsi Ravikant and SHO Hardi Suresh Kumar along with a police team reached the spot and convinced the agitating villagers to lift the dharna.
According to sources, 10-year-old Ajeet, son of Bhagauti was attacked and injured by a wolf at around 3 AM in Khairi hamlet of Gangapurwa village under Hardi PS area on Saturday. Listening to the screams of the boy, family members woke up and rushed for help. A wolf was seen on the spot. Ajeet was admitted to the district hospital. Meanwhile, in another attack , Pallavi, 8, daughter of Rajkumar, a resident of Raja Rehuwa who had come to Wairisalpurwa hamlet of Bambhauri village on an invitation, was mauled by a wolf on Saturday morning. Locals rushed for help after which the animal escaped . The girl was admitted to Community Health Centre Rampurwa. Later, angry villagers blocked the Sitapur-Bahraich highway.
The villagers also blamed power cuts for the increasing attacks of wolves in the area. Prithvi Mishra, Manoj Kumar Shukla, Babu Ram, Shakeel Ahmad and other villagers who were protesting on the road blamed the night-long power cut for the increasing attacks of wolves in the area. On August 9, one-year-old Geeta and Budhna, 52, were injured in wolf attack in the same area.
DFO Bahraich Ajit Pratap Singh said following movement of wolves, four cages had been installed at different locations to trap them. He said it was shocking that two wolves had been trapped but the attacks continued even after that. He said wolves lived in packs and if any members of their pack was lost they started searching for it.
The DFO said as per information, a pack of five wolves was seen in the area out of which two were captured and three were yet to be trapped. He said it seemed the population of wolves had increased in the area as earlier there was no wolf attack . He said four deaths due to wolf attacks had been reported since March this year and one in January this year . Financial assistance of Rs. 5 Lakh was being provided to each victim’s family.
