The Uttar Pradesh Police and the Forest department are continuing their search for two killer wolves under 'Operation Bhediya' in Bahraich district. The forest department had earlier caught four wolves.
The pack of wolves is said to be behind several attacks on villagers in the region.
Meanwhile late on Monday (September 2) night, a five-year-old girl was injured in another alleged wolf attack in the same area. The girl has been sent to Community Health Centre Mahasi where her treatment is underway.
The girl was sleeping next to her grandmother at her home when suddenly a wolf attacked her, however swift action from her family members and neighbours saved her life.
Kalim, one of the neighbors of the girl child told ANI that as soon as they heard screams of the family, they immediately went to save her and chased the wolf but the wolf managed to escape from the village. He also conveyed that it was the first time a wolf came to their village.
After the incident, the administration and the forest department also came to the site. We chased him (wolf) but it escaped into the fields in the eastern side. “This was the first time that a wolf came into our village”, on resident said.
Her relative, Wasi Ahmad said, "After dinner, she went to sleep, along with my mother. A wolf came at that time and attacked her. When we screamed, it ran away. There is no gate in the house." Her grandmother said the child was sleeping next to her at her home and suddenly at night the wolf attacked her.
"She was sleeping next to me and her father. In the midnight, she suddenly screamed and we tried to save her. We don't have a door in our house."
Her mother Ruby said, "I was sleeping inside the house and she was sleeping outside with her grandmother. She suddenly screamed as the wolf had caught her. After we all screamed, neighbors came and that wolf escaped from the village."
Meanwhile, ADG Zone Gorakhpur Dr KS Pratap Kumar on wolf attacks, said, "Under a specialised strategy, the Forest Department is implementing a program in which the police department would also cooperate. The whole area has been divided into 7 teams. Every Gram panchayat is also given a police team. Surely, we will be successful soon."
On Monday, a three-year old girl was killed and two other women were injured in another wolf attack, spreading anger among the locals, who blamed that the administration for showing negligence in their work.
Villagers recite verses from Valmiki Ramayana
In an effort to ward of attacks from teh wolves, people in a temple of the Pandohiya village were seen reciting the Sunderkand Path with religious text Ramayana (the chapter which details Hanuman crossing over the sea to meet Sita) in their hands while some of them joined the recitation with mobile phones.
The priest of the temple told ANI that all the villagers are reciting Sunderkand Path to ward off the attacks of wolves as administration arrives on the spot after the incident and returns empty-handed.
“We are reciting the Sunderkand Path because we are frightened from the attacks of the wild animals, specially wolves. We are frightened. We have to stay awake up in the night in fear. There is no electricity in our village. That’s why we have turned up to Bajranbali to save ourselves. The administration and the forest department team comes after the attack and then go back empty-handed. Bajrangbali is Mahaveer, that’s why we came here. All the villagers are here and reciting the Sunderkand Path,” said the priest.
One of the villagers, Arvind Kumar Singh said, “People are frightened from the terror of the wolves and this is the reason we are engaged in the prayers. People from the administration and the forest department team come after the attack and then go back. Now, Bajranbali can save us.”
