Return of the wolves? In UP’s Bahraich, villages on tenterhooks after 2 girls killed by wild animals

The two recent deaths were reported from Paragpurwa and Sipahiya Bhorwa villages, located about 40 km from the site of last year’s incidents. The two villages themselves are barely five kilometres apart.

Residents said both deaths occurred at night, when power outages had left the area in darkness, making it impossible for anyone to witness the attacks directly. However, they pointed out that the nature of the injuries and the manner of killing bore a striking resemblance to earlier wolf attacks, reinforcing fears that the predators may have returned to the region.

Ram Singh Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bahraich, said the postmortem reports of both victims are still awaited, but the injuries on their bodies strongly indicate an animal attack.

“We need to gather more evidence before we can say with certainty which animal was responsible,” he said, noting that both wolves and leopards are present in the area.

Yadav added that extensive precautionary and security measures have been put in place across 25 affected villages. Forest teams are patrolling the region day and night, and the area has been divided into sectors and zones to aid the search.

He added that locals, too, have begun round-the-clock patrols and are urging families not to let children sleep outdoors, as fear of further attacks looms large.

The latest series of killings began on September 9, when a four-year-old girl from Paragpurwa village was attacked and killed by an unidentified animal. According to family members, they were having dinner in the verandah of their house around 8 pm when the animal suddenly appeared and snatched the child.

“Hearing her cries for help, we rushed to the spot, but by then the animal had already taken her away. We searched through the night but could not find her,” said Satguru Prasad, former pradhan of the village and uncle of the victim.

It was only the next morning that the child’s mutilated body was recovered from a nearby field. Prasad said the family and residents were convinced that a wolf was behind the attack, pointing out that the manner in which the child was taken closely matched earlier cases linked to wolves.

In the early hours of September 11, the predator struck again. This time, the victim was a three-year-old girl who had been sleeping outside with her mother, Rani. A power outage had plunged the village into darkness, leaving many families to sleep in the open.

According to information, around 3 am, the animal reportedly entered Rani’s house and snatched the child. Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed to her aid and began searching the nearby fields, but their efforts proved futile. The frantic search continued through the night, and it was only the following morning that the girl’s body was found in a field a short distance from the house, said Prasad.

The incidents have deepened fears among residents, many of whom believe the attacks bear the unmistakable signs of wolves returning to the area.

Precautionary measures

Forest officials said several precautionary measures have been initiated to capture the animal responsible for the attacks. Seven teams comprising several personnel have been deployed in the affected areas. In addition to setting up three cages, the department has installed three thermal drones, camera traps, and other monitoring equipment.

Officials are also conducting awareness campaigns in the villages, advising locals on the precautions they should take to protect themselves and their children in such situations.

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