Wolf carries away infant in UP’s Bahraich, Anti-Wolf operation intensified

A four-month-old infant was carried away by a wolf in the early hours of Sunday in Bahraich’s Kaiserganj area, prompting authorities to intensify a district-wide anti-wolf operation already underway for several months.

The baby, Subhash, son of Santosh and Kiran of Mallahanpurwa village, was sleeping beside his mother when the predator reportedly entered their house around 1:30 am. Villagers said the wolf quietly walked in, lifted the infant from his mother’s arms and escaped. Residents tried to chase it, but both the child and the animal remain missing.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav confirmed the incident and said it adds to a series of wolf attacks that have left the region on edge. Mallahanpurwa alone has seen three attacks in the past nine days, including the death of a five-year-old boy on November 28 and injuries to another child on December 5.

Following the latest incident, authorities have stepped up the ongoing anti-wolf operation, which involves drone-assisted searches, ground combing by forest teams, and deployment of rescue specialists and trained shooters. Drones are being used to scan riverbanks, sugarcane fields and forest areas, while teams patrol vulnerable locations through the night. Officials said the wolf will either be safely captured or, if necessary, neutralised.

Yadav said that drone-based searches were launched immediately after the infant was taken, and teams already stationed in the village began combing operations without delay.

Wolf attacks have surged across Bahraich since September 9, with eight children and an elderly couple losing their lives and at least 32 people injured so far. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas on September 27, directing officials to capture the wolf safely or shoot it if rescue attempts failed. Specialised teams from multiple districts and states were deployed following his directive, and four wolves have been killed in operations since September 28.

Search efforts continued on Sunday as fear among villagers deepened, with authorities urging residents to remain cautious and keep children indoors, especially at night.