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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Days after 2-year-old boy mauled to death, wolf caught in UP's Bahraich
Days after a two-year-old boy was mauled to death by an animal at Mahasi in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district—an incident that revived fears in an area plagued by wolf attacks last year—a forest department team caught a female wolf on Saturday, bringing some relief to locals. The mauling came nearly 10 months after a pack of wolves terrorised 35 villages in the Mahasi area, killing eight people—mostly children—and injuring at least 18 others. After the boy's death on June 3, his family and locals said that a wolf was responsible for the attack. However, forest officials said the animal involved would be confirmed only after a DNA report from the Wildlife Institute of India's forensic laboratory in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. A portion of the victim's remains has been sent for testing and the report is awaited. 'We captured the wolf after surrounding the area where it was spotted using a thermal drone. While we cannot yet confirm whether this is the same animal that killed the child, it was necessary to capture it due to the widespread public anger following the incident,' said Ajeet Kumar Singh, Divisional Forest Officer, Bahraich. Singh added that there was concern the wolf might have been killed by locals if spotted, as anger had been running high since the boy's death. The animal is currently undergoing a medical examination. The wolf was captured in Sardal Ka Pachasa village, located about 3 km from Gadamar Kala, where the boy, Ayush, was killed. Early on June 3, the animal reportedly entered the house and took Ayush away. Although the family woke up and tried to chase it, their efforts were unsuccessful. The next morning, Ayush's body was found in a nearby sugarcane field, with parts of his limbs mauled. Forest department officials rushed to the spot after receiving reports that an animal, believed to be a wolf, had entered a house in Gadamar Kala and taken away a baby. Last year, during the two-month-long Operation Bhediya, the forest department captured six wolves believed to be responsible for the deaths of eight people. Initially, officials had blamed a jackal, but later, based on drone footage and images captured using thermal cameras, it was confirmed that wolves were behind the attacks.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Wolf scare back in Bahraich, two-year-old boy mauled to death
A two-year-old boy was mauled to death by an animal at Gadamar Kala village of Mahasi subdivision in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district in the early hours of Tuesday, bringing back a sense of scare in the area which reeled under dozens of wolf attacks last year, officials said. While the child's family and local residents claimed that a wolf attacked the child, forest officials said they would confirm the type of animal involved in the incident only after receiving a DNA report from the Wildlife Institute of India's forensic laboratory in Dehradun. Khushboo, the mother of the victim, Ayush, told reporters that she saw the wolf taking away her son. 'Last night, as we lay in the verandah of our house, wolves came and took away my child. I saw the wolf. We tried to chase it, but in vain. In the morning, Ayush's body was found in a sugarcane field,' she said. The incident comes nearly 10 months after a pack of wolves terrorised 35 villages of Mahasi, killing eight people, mostly children, and injuring at least 18. 'We have sent a sample of a chewed body part to the laboratory in Dehradun for testing,' said Bahraich Divisional Forest Officer Ajeet Kumar Singh. Forest department officials rushed to the spot after receiving information that an animal, claimed to be a wolf, entered a house at Gadamar Kala and took away a baby. The child's body was later found a short distance from the house, with his limbs partially eaten. The forest department deployed a drone to survey the area and claimed to spotted two jackals in the vicinity. The animals' pug marks were also found, they said. 'The picture will become clear after we receive the laboratory report,' said Singh. Seven teams were formed to track and capture the animal involved in the attack, officials said. Forest officials are using thermal camera drones and other methods, and have also launched an awareness campaign to educate locals on safety precautions. The residents, however, expressed anger over the forest department's reluctance to confirm the involvement of a wolf and a 'lack of urgency in capturing the animal'. 'This is the third incident in the past two months involving a wolf attack. In two of these cases — including the one early this morning — infants have died. In the third incident, family members woke up in time and managed to prevent the attack. Forest officials are not taking the matter seriously and are trying to dismiss it by hinting, without any evidence, that a jackal was involved,' said Sureshwar Singh, BJP MLA from Mahasi. Locals claim that the presence of a jackal in the area is unlikely. 'If the forest department does not take the matter seriously and catch the animal, the situation could become as bad as it was last year,' said the MLA. Last year, during a two-month-long 'Operation Bhediya', the forest department captured six wolves believed to be responsible for the deaths of eight people. Initially, officials had blamed a jackal, but later, based on drone footage and images captured using thermal cameras, it was confirmed that wolves were behind the attacks. Also, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had in September 2024 conducted an aerial survey of the area and met families of those who lost their lives in the wolf attacks. — PTI inputs
