Bahraich wolf attacks: Villagers slam delayed response as toll mounts (WATCH)

A three-year-old girl is the latest to fall prey to wolves who have been tormenting residents of Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. Two women were also injured in late Sunday night's attack. Even as 'Operation Bhediya' to capture the remaining two wolves continues, local frustration and accusations of negligence have intensified against the administration.

According to Mahasi Civil Health Centre Incharge, the attack happened late last night. "A three-year-old girl was killed, and two women were injured in a wolf attack," he reported.

Divisional Forest Officer Ajit Pratap Singh is currently at the scene in Thalia village, leading the search for the predators. The mother of the deceased child recounted the harrowing event, stating that it occurred at 3:35 a.m. on Monday. 

She described the horrifying discovery of her daughter being mauled by the wolf, expressing her anguish over their inability to secure their home due to financial constraints.

A neighbour described several previous encounters with the wolf. He noted that despite reporting the sightings to the forest department, their requests for video evidence were met with skepticism. 

"We thought it was a dog at first and chased it away, but it later ran into the fields. We alerted the forest department, but they demanded video proof, which is not feasible for us," he said.

District Magistrate Monika Rani acknowledged the difficulties faced by the authorities. 

"The main challenge is that the wolf constantly changes its location, making it hard to pin down. Every time we identify a new village, the wolf shifts its activity," she explained.

Local residents from Thalia village criticized the administration's response, claiming that despite showing the animal's footprints and making videos, no effective action was taken. 

They accused the authorities of delays and inadequate measures to ensure their safety. "The administration arrived 1.5 hours after the incident, and there’s no system in place to secure us," one local remarked.

In response to the situation, District Magistrate Monika Rani urged residents to stay indoors and remain vigilant. "We have captured four wolves, and two remain. Our team is patrolling continuously, and we are doing everything possible to catch the remaining wolves. I request everyone to be cautious and keep children indoors," she said.

On Sunday, Chief Forest Conservator (Central Zone) Renu Singh reviewed 'Operation Bhediya.' She confirmed that drones are being used extensively to track the wolves and that while four have been captured, two are still at large. 

"Drones are deployed continuously, and we are making every effort to capture the remaining wolves," Singh stated.

Abhishek Singh, CO Forest for Bahraich Division, confirmed that the presence of the two remaining wolves has been detected using drones. "Our team, under the guidance of the DFO, has located the wolves, and we are working to capture them soon," he assured.

To enhance safety, the forest department has set up traps in Sisayya Chudaamani village and is using firecrackers at night to deter the wolves and protect the villagers.