Fear grips Bahraich after elderly couple killed in another wild animal attack

A massive search operation is now underway in Kaiserganj to trace the wolf, and officials have reportedly decided that if it cannot be captured, the animal will be eliminated.

The deceased have been identified as Khedan and his wife Mankiya (both in their 60s), residents of Manjhla Taukli village.

According to forest officials, they received information early this morning about the killing of the couple by a wild animal. A forest department team rushed to the spot and took custody of the bodies.

The matter came to light when the couple’s family members went to the hut and found their bodies with injuries.

During the preliminary inquiry, officials found that the couple had been sleeping in a hut located some distance from their house at night. While the department has not clearly identified the animal, it is suspected that a wolf was behind the deaths.

Divisional Forest Officer, Bahraich, Ram Singh Yadav, said in a statement that prima facie the attack appears to have been carried out by a wolf.

The series of wolf attacks in Bahraich began on September 9, when a child was killed in Paragpurwa village. Since then, similar incidents have been reported repeatedly.

So far, the attacks have occurred within a 15-kilometre radius across Mahsi and Kaiserganj tehsils, with most cases concentrated in Kaiserganj.

Forest officials had said the wolves are behaving differently this year compared to last year. Earlier, most attacks happened at night, but now the animals are attacking even during the day. Locals are making several precautions including moving out at night.

Meanwhile, the forest department is also waiting for the post-mortem report of an adult male wolf found dead in a sugarcane field in Manjhla Taukli village. The recovery came a day after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Bahraich and told the department to either capture the wolf responsible for the recent attacks or, if needed, call shooters to kill it for public safety.

Forest officials have initially ruled out the possibility of the wolf dying from a gunshot wound. However, they did not rule out that the animal may have been attacked and killed by villagers, many of whom have been patrolling the area with traditional weapons following the recent spate of attacks.