When a child is in danger, the mother's power is infinite, and she can overcome all difficulties, even fight against wild beasts. This was demonstrated in Uttar Pradesh's Balich district when a mother fought off a man-eating wolf and rescued her child from its jaws.
In this fierce conflict between man and animal, the mother's fight with the wolf is aptly described as the mother's victory, successfully saving her child. Separately, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday issued an advisory instructing authorities to take all necessary measures to capture man-eating wolves, which have been wreaking havoc in several districts for more than a month.
A series of dramatic incidents reminiscent of Bollywood movies unfolded late Saturday night in the Hadi area of Balaich, which has been plagued by wolf attacks. In the early hours of Sunday morning, five-year-old Paras slept quietly next to his mother Gudiya in the yard of their home. The night was quiet, but Gudiya was suddenly awakened by a strange low moan. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a horrific sight – a wolf grabbing her son's neck and dragging him into a corner, away from his sleeping family.
“Without a second thought, Pallas's mother Gudiya jumped from her wooden bed and rushed towards the wolf. Desperate to save her child, she pounced on the beast and clasped its neck with both hands. Gudiya tried to strangle the wolf with all his strength, forcing it to loosen its grip on Pallas, who fell to the ground.
She said the moment the wolf let go of Pallas, she screamed for help. The noise alarmed the wolf, who quickly climbed up the courtyard wall and disappeared into the darkness.
Gudia said she quickly checked on her son, who was still breathing, but the man-eating wolf's canine teeth were deep into Pallas's neck. The family rushed him to a nearby Community Health Center (CHC), where he has been receiving treatment. “Now my mother, I will kill you soon. (If the wolf attacks my son again, I will definitely kill it),” said Gudiya, who was shocked but undeterred.
Her son Paras said their house had no door. “I was sleeping with my mother on the balcony when the wolf attacked. It is because of my mother that I am alive.
Anjali did not survive wolf attack
However, Anjali (2) was not as lucky as Paras and was killed in a wolf attack on Sunday night. People said the incident took place in the early hours of Monday when a wolf took away the two-year-old girl who was sleeping with her mother in the house. After receiving the news, the forestry department immediately rushed to the scene and launched a manhunt, but failed.
Wandering man-eating wolves have reportedly killed eight people, including seven children and one woman, and injured more than 25 others in the past 50 days, pinning communities in fear. While the UT Forestry Department claims to have captured four of the six wolves that wreaked havoc, wolf attacks continue to threaten the area.
Looking for the remaining wolves
On August 29, the forestry department successfully captured a killer wolf, bringing the total number of trapped wolves to four. However, two man-eating wolves still lingered nearby, giving the villagers nightmares.
The UP forest department and district administration have deployed over 250 staff, including 150 forest officials, to install four traps and use three sets of thermal imaging drones to track the remaining wolves. More than 50,000 people living in 25 to 30 villages in Maharishi Tehsilhadi area of Baraich district of Uttar Pradesh have been kept awake at night by man-eating wolves.
UP CM issues emergency advisory
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an emergency advisory directing authorities to take all necessary steps to capture man-eating wolves that are wreaking havoc in several districts. “Necessary steps should be taken to capture the wolves at any cost,” the chief minister said, stressing the need for coordinated efforts among various departments.
The advisory directs the administration, police, forest department, local panchayat and revenue department to collaborate to create widespread public awareness about this ongoing menace. “People should also be aware of the safety measures,” Adityanath added, stressing the importance of community collaboration and public representation in these efforts.
The chief minister also directed the forest minister to ensure deployment of more forest department personnel in the worst-affected districts, including Balaich, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit and Binol. He further directed that senior officials should be stationed in these areas to monitor operations.
To address the issue of inadequate lighting in vulnerable villages, Adityanath ordered the forest department to arrange Petromax lights in areas facing power problems. The measure aims to increase security and prevent further attacks at night, providing some relief to communities living in fear.
