The threat posed by man-eating wolves continues to loom large over Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, with yet another horrific incident reported from Rasulpur Darehta village. Early in the morning, a wolf entered a home barely ten kilometres from Manjhara Taukli, the area considered the worst affected by wolf attacks. The animal snatched a three-year-old child from his mother’s lap while she was breastfeeding him on the verandah of her house. Despite her immediate attempt to chase the wolf, the mother was unable to save her son. The child’s mutilated body was later recovered several kilometres away, adding to the growing fear gripping local residents.
According to villagers, the attack happened swiftly and without warning. Ram Manohar’s wife, Nankai, was feeding her young son Anshu when the wolf quietly slipped into the house and grabbed the child. She ran after the animal, but it disappeared into the thick morning fog within moments. The child’s body, bearing clear signs of a brutal attack, was found hours later at a distant location, confirming the worst fears of the family and the community.
Nankai, who lives with her children while her husband works in Punjab, had no immediate help when the incident occurred. The dense fog and the speed of the attack made any rescue attempt nearly impossible. After the incident, neighbours, along with forest department personnel, conducted extensive searches in and around the village, but the wolf could not be traced at that time.
Officials stress that this is far from an isolated incident. Since September, wolf attacks in Bahraich have claimed the lives of 12 people, including 10 children. The worst-affected areas fall under the jurisdiction of the Kaiserganj, Baundi and Fakharpur police stations, covering around a dozen villages where fear has become a part of daily life. In addition to the fatalities, at least 32 people have suffered serious injuries in these attacks, many of them children and elderly residents.
Forest department officials have noted that the danger has not subsided even after six wolves linked to earlier attacks were killed. Ongoing operations are now focused on tracking down and neutralising any remaining wolves believed to be responsible for the continued assaults. Authorities say teams are on high alert and are expanding their search areas as the attacks appear to be spreading.
District Forest Officer Ram Singh said the condition of the child’s body clearly indicated a man-eating wolf attack. He added that the latest incident is particularly worrying because it occurred about ten kilometres away from previously affected zones. The area is densely populated and lacks sugarcane fields, which are typically considered natural cover for wolves. This, he said, suggests that the animal has abandoned its earlier territory and shifted to a new area, increasing the challenge for forest officials and heightening concern among residents.
