Hours after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to the Mahasi area affected by wolf attacks, a 12-year-old boy was severely injured by an unidentified wild animal in a village in Mahasi tehsil here.
Villagers are attributing the attack to a man-eating wolf, while the Forest Department has refuted this claim, suggesting the involvement of another animal.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ajit Pratap Singh on Monday said that around 2:30 am, Imran (12), son of Mohammad Umar from Piprimohan village was injured by an unknown animal.
"Upon immediate investigation at the scene, no wolf tracks were found. The tracks that were discovered did not match those of a wolf," Singh said.
Earlier on Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited the Mahasi area, which has been terrorized by wolves and stated that shooting the dangerous wolves would be the last resort.
He also conducted an aerial survey of the region and met families of those who lost their lives in the recent wolf attacks during the human-wildlife conflict.
He assured that Forest Department teams would remain in the area until it is safe.
The Chief Minister had specifically visited Sisaiya Chunanmani village in Mahasi tehsil, which has been affected by these attacks.
Speaking about the latest attack, Mohammad Umar, the victim's father, said, "We were sleeping on the roof when a wolf came and pounced on my son. My son screamed for help and people gathered. The wolf left when it saw people." My son was severely injured in the attack and has been admitted to the hospital, Umar added.
Meanwhile, DFO Singh said that wolves or leopards do not typically attack from heights above their size.
"Since this incident occurred on a roof, it is unusual for a wolf, which does not climb roofs to attack. We are now investigating which animal was responsible," he told PTI.
Imran received initial treatment at the Community Health Center in Mahasi, Bahraich.
The centre's Medical Officer, Dr. Talha Shamsi said the wounds on the boy's neck appear to be from an animal bite.
The boy was referred to the district hospital for further treatment and he was admitted to a special ward for wolf attack victims, she said.
Based on these facts, it is clear that the attack was not caused by a wolf, she added.
Dr. Shaheer Khan from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) also denied the presence of wolf tracks while other local officials said drone inspection of the area revealed two jackals.
A pack of six wolves has terrorized thousands of residents across about 50 villages in Mahasi tehsil since March. So far, at least eight people, including seven children, have died and over 30 have been injured in suspected attacks by these wolves.
Following increased attacks after the onset of the monsoon on July 17, a campaign named 'Operation Bhediya' was launched to capture the pack of six wolves.
Five of the six wolves have been captured, with one dying of heart failure early on and the remaining four released into different wildlife sanctuaries, officials said.
According to the Forest Department, only one wolf remains and efforts are underway to capture it.
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