Maneaters of Bahraich strike again: Why two UP villages are spending sleepless nights

Days later, Kiran recalled the moment: “We don’t have a door at our house… the animal managed to enter and take away my baby.”

Fearing more attacks, the village has decided to keep a close eye on its children. “We now escort our children to and from school every day,” said Mallahanpurwa resident Vinay Kumar.

Vinay’s five-year-old grandson, Star, was snatched by a wolf while he was playing outside the house on November 28. “Our kids are no longer allowed to play beyond the gate…,” he said.

Most houses in Mallahanpurwa village are thatched structures with no doors. (Express Photo)

The district has seen a spate of attacks this year. Between September and October, wolf attacks had left eight people — six of them children — dead and around 30 others injured. Most incidents were reported from Manjhara Taukli village, with a few cases occurring in nearby villages. Four wolves believed responsible were killed by the forest department at the time.

The attacks in Mallahanpurwa, about 11 km from Manjhara Taukli, signaled a shift in the affected area and reignited fears among surrounding villages. Officials said it appears the wolf attacks are happening in a 25-km radius in the district.

Fighting the threat

The administration has stepped up efforts to prevent further attacks. Streetlights are now being installed at dark stretches in the two villages, homes are being reinforced with doors, and plans are afoot to cut the dense sugarcane fields — often used by wolves as escape routes after attacks.

“We’ve never faced such terror before,” said Chandan Kumar Rajbhar, husband of Mallahanpurwa village pradhan Suman Devi. “Initially, we suspected that the wolves had strayed into the area after their habitat near the riverbank was flooded. However, even after the water level receded, the animals remained…”

He said apart from steps taken by the administration, “villagers are patrolling the area along with forest department teams and other government officials”.

Kiran, mother of a four-month-old boy who was snatched by the animal from their home on December 7. (Express Photo)

The two villages fall under the Godhiya gram panchayat, which has a mixed population and is home to around 5,000 residents.

A resident, 35-year-old farmer Mishri Lal, said most houses in the area are ghas-phoos (thatched structures) and families are unable to install proper doors as they are poor. He further stressed that streetlights are needed on every pole. “Officials are patrolling day and night but unless the sugarcane crop is cut, the threat of sudden wolf attacks will continue as the fields are very close to our homes.”

When contacted, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Bahraich, Akhilesh Singh, said the administration is continuously creating awareness among villagers and strengthening preventive measures. He said streetlights are being installed and doors are being fitted in houses that currently do not have any.

“Cutting sugarcane crops in the affected areas is being taken up on a priority basis to eliminate hiding spaces for wolves,” Singh said, adding that a meeting was held with sugarcane mill owners to ensure coordination and expedite the process.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bahraich, Ram Singh Yadav, said two wolves involved in recent attacks were killed earlier this week and efforts are on to trace and capture the remaining animals. “The department is making all necessary arrangements and is closely monitoring the affected areas. Regular patrolling is being carried out to ensure public safety,” the DFO said.