Four people suffered injuries in a suspected animal attack in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district, police said on Sunday. One of those attacked is reported to be in critical condition as the animal bit off a part of her hand.
The animal's pugmarks suggest that it was a jackal or some dog, according to District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia.
The incident comes amid the terror of full-grown wolves in Bahraich district, about 350 kms from Sambhal.
In the last two months, Bahraich district has recorded eight deaths, including seven children in a series of attacks by wolves while around three dozen other people were left injured, according to official figures.
In a recent incident, an eight-year-old boy was attacked by a wolf while playing outside his home in the Mahsi tehsil.
"The child was playing near the door of the house. Then the wolf knocked him down and injured him. As soon as the wolf knocked him down, the child started screaming. When we all heard the scream, we ran shouting. Hearing the noise, the wolf left the child and ran away. We all have seen the wolf running away," the boy's mother was quoted as saying by PTI.
Since March, wolves have been attacking children and humans in the Mahsi tehsil area of Bahraich.
The attacks increased from July 17 during the rainy season and till date, a total of eight people have died due to these attacks.
The attacks have been on the rise despite four wolves being caught in the past. Therefore, experts believe that the real man-eaters have not been caught yet.
Thermal drones and thermos-sensor cameras have been installed to catch the wolves. The forest department and administration has stationed hundreds of officers and employees to catch the wolves and carry awareness campaigns for the safety of the people. The forest department has formed six teams in three sections and a team of nine shooters along with 165 officers have been engaged in the search operation for wolves day and night.
With inputs from PTI