Child killed, 2 hurt as wolf attacks continue in UP's Bahraich

A two-year-old girl was killed and two women injured in three separate wolf attacks in the Mahsi area of Bahraich district while reports of suspected animal attacks were also received from neighbouring Sitapur district.

District magistrate (Bahraich) Monika Rani said this was the eighth death in wolf attacks since July 17.

Seven children were among those killed and about 30 injured.

Another official said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would review the situation in Bahraich and nearby districts through videoconferencing on Monday.

Officials said two-year-old Anjali was sleeping with her mother outside their home in the Garethi Gurudutt Singh village of the Hardi area on Sunday when she was taken by a wolf.

The child's mutilated body was found a kilometre from the village, the officials said and added that the wolf had eaten both her hands.

In the second incident, 70-year-old Kamala Devi from Mauja Kotiya village in the Barabigha area was injured when a wolf entered her house and attacked her early on Monday, they said.

She was admitted to the district hospital with injuries on her neck, mouth and ears and her condition was stated to be stable, they added.

In the third incident, Suman Devi (45) was found injured in a suspected wolf attack early on Monday and hospitalised, the officials said.

Divisional commissioner Shashibhushan Lal Shushil told PTI that Adityanath would hold a review meeting via videoconferencing on Monday.

District magistrate Rani said the administration had already captured four wolves and was working to catch the others.

However, the presence over a hundred revenue villages in the district has compounded the problem, with the wolves attacking a new village every four to five days, she said.

People are being made aware about the situation and told to sleep inside their homes with the doors closed or on rooftops, Rani said.

According to reports, two wolves are attacking but the forest department is collecting information about the exact number, she added.

Superintendent of police Vrinda Shukla and Rani took stock of the situation and met the toddler's family members. They have also directed that the injured get proper treatment.

In neighbouring Sitapur, fear gripped residents of Parsehra Sharikpur village after three women were injured in attacks by unidentified animals.

While locals claimed that the women were attacked by wolves, forest department officials suspect that a jackal was behind the attacks.

A forest department team collected animal samples and footprints and ruled out a wolf or tiger attack.

A Parsehra Sharikpur official said Rosida (30) was asleep with her three children in her home when she was attacked. Rosida suffered claw injuries on her hand.

Two more women -- 60-year-old Ramshree and 65-year-old Kailasha -- were attacked, the official added.

The official said villagers immediately informed the forest department and alleged that the women were attacked by a wolf.

Divisional forest officer Naveen Khandelwal told reporters, "Our team did not find footprints of any wild animal such as wolf, tiger, leopard or panther. Footprints of jackals were found and were confirmed by forest teams." He also appealed to the public to avoid spreading rumours about animal attacks and creating panic.

"If any animal is found, people should immediately report to the forest department so that we could help them out on time," he added.