Villagers alert: Jackal attacks in rural Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, villagers took matters into their own hands after a jackal attacked three people, including a child, on Wednesday night. The incident occurred in Kutulpur village, where the victims, Jitendra, his daughter Meenu and Ram Lakhan, were immediately rushed to hospital. The locals quickly retaliated by surrounding the animal and killing it with sticks. Police later handed over the carcass to the forest department.

This latest incident follows a disturbing pattern as it is the third jackal killed in just two days. On Tuesday, villagers in Hamirpur district killed a jackal that had entered a house and attacked several people. On Wednesday, residents of Khojpur village in Kaushambi district killed a jackal after it had attacked three other people, including a child.

The situation has worsened and now there are also fears of wolf attacks in Bahraich and surrounding areas in which eight people have been killed and over 35 injured. In response, Uttar Pradesh Forest Minister Arun Saxena has ordered the capture of these attacking animals. Moreover, on the orders of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, nine riflemen have been deployed in the Bahraich forest area. Amid this ongoing man-animal conflict in the Mahasi tehsil of Bahraich district, the state government has declared the region as a ‘wildlife disaster’ affected area.

(With contributions from agencies.)