Wolves continue to terrorise Bahraich villages, 5-year-old boy killed despite intensified patrols

Two man-eating wolves have once again unleashed terror in the region, claiming the life of a five-year-old boy named Star after dragging him away from his home in broad daylight.

The horrific incident occurred in Mallahan Purwa, a hamlet under Ghodahia village in the Kaisarganj police station area, about 50 km from the district headquarters, police said on Saturday.

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According to eyewitnesses, Star was playing outside his house on Friday around 4:30 pm while his family members and neighbours were nearby.

Suddenly, two wolves emerged from the fields and attacked the child. One wolf grabbed him by the neck while the other caught hold of his legs. Before anyone could react, the wolves dragged him towards a nearby sugarcane field.

Villagers, including eyewitness Rajendra Singh, chased the wolves with sticks, shouting loudly. After running nearly 500 metres into the fields, the wolves finally dropped the child and fled. When the villagers reached him, the boy was found unconscious, covered in blood, with severe injuries and both palms missing.

Star was rushed to Kaisarganj Community Health Centre for first aid and then referred to Bahraich District Hospital due to his critical condition. Doctors later directed the family to shift him to Lucknow Medical College. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries on the way, around 11:30 pm.

The victim’s father, Roshan Kumar, works as a labourer. Star was the second of three sons, and the family had recently welcomed a newborn. His mother reportedly collapsed repeatedly after learning of his death.

This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of wolf attacks in Bahraich over the past three months. According to local residents, wolves have killed eight children and one woman during this period and injured more than 38 people.

Just ten days earlier, a wolf had carried away a four-year-old girl from a nearby village located about 4 km from Friday’s attack site. Although forest officials tracked and killed that wolf the next day, the child has still not been found.

Due to the rising number of attacks, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently visited Bahraich and instructed officials to eliminate the man-eating wolves threatening the population. Following these orders, forest teams conducted operations in which four wolves were killed. Despite this, the attacks have continued, leaving villagers frightened and anxious.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav said that after receiving information about the latest attack, forest teams were immediately dispatched. Drone monitoring has been increased in nearby fields and forest patches, and three cages have been installed at strategic locations. Combing operations have been intensified, and villagers have been advised to remain alert and avoid leaving small children unattended.