When a child is in danger, a mother’s strength knows no bounds, she can conquer any odds, even battling wild animals. This proved true in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, where a mother fiercely fought off a man-eater wolf to rescue her child from its jaws.
In the intense human-animal conflict, aptly described as mother versus wolf, the mother triumphed, successfully saving her child. Besides, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday issued an advisory, directing authorities to take all necessary measures to capture the man-eater wolves that have been terrorising several districts for over a month.
A dramatic chain of events, reminiscent of a Bollywood movie, unfolded late Saturday night in Bahraich’s Hardi area, which has been plagued by a wave of wolf attacks. In the early hours of Sunday, five-year-old Paras was sleeping peacefully beside his mother, Gudiya, in their family’s courtyard. The night was still and quiet, but Gudiya suddenly awoke to a strange, low groaning noise. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was met with a horrifying sight — a wolf gripping her son by the neck, dragging him towards a corner away from the rest of the sleeping family.
“Without giving a second thought, Paras’s mother Gudiya leaped from her charpoy (a traditional woven bed) and rushed at the wolf. In a desperate attempt to save her child, she threw herself onto the wild animal, wrapping her hands tightly around its neck. Gudiya tried to strangle the wolf with all her might, forcing it to release its grip on Paras, who fell on the ground,” Paras’s mother Gudiya Kumar told News18.
She said that the moment the wolf loosened the grip on Paras, she screamed for help. The commotion startled the wolf, which quickly scaled the courtyard wall and disappeared into the darkness.
Gudiya said she quickly examined her son, who was still breathing but the canines of the man-eater wolf went deep into the neck of Paras. The family rushed him to the nearby Community Health Centre (CHC), where he has been undergoing treatment. “Abki aawa, to mar hi darab (Will surely kill the wolf, if it attacks my son again),” said Gudiya, shaken but undeterred.
Her son Paras said that there is no door in their house. “I was sleeping with my mother in the verandah when the wolf attacked. It’s because of my mother that I am alive,” said Paras.
Anjali failed to survive the wolf attack
However, Anjali (2) was not as fortunate as Paras as she lost her life in a wolf attack on Sunday night. People said the incident took place during the wee hours of Monday when a wolf took away the two year old who was sleeping along with her mother in the house. On getting the information, the team of forest department rushed to the spot and launched the hunt to track the wolf, but to no avail.
Over the past 50 days, stray man-eater wolves have reportedly killed eight people, including seven children and one woman, and injured more than 25 others, leaving the community in fear. While the UP Forest Department claims to have captured four out of six wolves wreaking havoc, wolf attacks continue to terrorise the area.
Search On For Remaining Wolves
On August 29, the forest department managed to trap one of the killer wolves, taking the total number of trapped wolves to four. However, two man-eater wolves are still on the prowl giving the villagers nightmares.
The UP Forest Department and district administration have deployed more than 250 staffers including 150 forest officials, installed four traps and have been using three sets of thermal drone cameras to track the remaining wolves. The man-eater wolves have been giving sleepless nights to more than 50,000 people residing in as many as 25 to 30 villages in the Hardi area of Mahsi Tehsil of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh.
UP CM issues urgent advisory
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an urgent advisory, directing authorities to take all necessary measures to capture the man-eater wolves terrorising several districts. “Required steps should be taken to catch the wolves at all costs,” the Chief Minister stated, emphasising the need for a coordinated effort among various departments.
The advisory instructed the administration, police, forest department, local panchayat, and revenue department to collaborate in creating widespread public awareness about the ongoing threat. “People should also be informed about safety measures,” Adityanath added, stressing the importance of community cooperation and the involvement of public representatives in these efforts.
The Chief Minister also directed the forest minister to ensure additional personnel from the forest department are deployed in the most affected districts, including Bahraich, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, and Bijnor. He further instructed that senior officers should be stationed in these areas to oversee the operations.
To address the issue of inadequate lighting in vulnerable villages, Adityanath ordered the forest department to arrange for Petromax lights in areas facing electricity issues. This measure aims to enhance safety and prevent further attacks during night time, offering some relief to the communities living in fear.
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