A pack of jackals attacked two villages in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district, leaving at least 12 people injured. The incident comes amid wolf terror in Bahraich where the canines have killed more than 10 people since March, including children.
The jackals first attacked children in Suswar and Pansoli villages in the Jahanabad area when they were playing outside their homes, according to the locals, reported India Today. When some elderly people went to protect the children, they were also attacked by the wild animal.
All the 12 people were admitted to Community Health Centre in Jahanabad where they were receiving necessary treatment. The irate villagers killed one of the jackals after the attack.
A team of the local administration and forest department reached the spot upon receiving the alert about the jackal attack and launched an investigation. Earlier some villagers had claimed that the attack was done by a pack of wolves but it was later confirmed that a jackal was behind it, said Pilibhit District Forest Officer Manish Singh.
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The DFO said that the situation is being monitored adding that the jackals have become aggressive because their hiding places have been inundated due to rains.
"Also, it is their mating period, during which they tend to be more aggressive. We are keeping a close watch on them," he added.
Pilibhit MP Jitin Prasada also spoke to the locals about the incident over the phone.
The attack followed a similar incident in the nearby Jadopur village where three people were injured in an attack by ten jackals on Thursday, reported The Times Of India.
In the past 24 hours, five villagers including two women, were mauled by jackals in Jasai Nagar and Bijauria villages, Baheri tehsil, Bareilly. The jackals attacked while the villagers were engaged in agricultural work, said Baheri sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Ratnika Shrivastav.