Lucknow: Displaying extraordinary courage, a mother fought off a suspected wild animal that tore through her thatched hut and tried to drag away her 7-year-old son in Bahraich’s Ramnagar village early on Saturday. The child sustained severe head injuries and was referred to the Trauma Centre in Lucknow for advanced treatment. The injured boy, identified as Shyam, son of Ajay Mishra, was sleeping beside his mother Pooja Devi when the incident occurred around 2 am. According to the family, an unidentified wild animal, possibly a leopard, ripped open the thatched wall of their hut and clamped its jaws onto the child’s head in an attempt to pull him away. Awakened by her son’s screams, Pooja Devi immediately confronted the animal and struggled with it for nearly 5 minutes. Though she managed to rescue her son, the violent tug-of-war left the upper portion of Shyam’s scalp torn open. Hearing the commotion, other family members and villagers rushed to the spot, forcing the animal to flee.The child was first taken to CHC Charda and later referred to Bahraich Medical College. After stitches were administered, doctors shifted him to the Lucknow Trauma Centre, considering the seriousness of the head injury.The attack triggered panic in the village. The victim’s father, Ajay Mishra, said it was too dark to identify the animal, but his wife described it as heavy and tiger-like in build.Forest officials said only claw marks were found on hard ground near the hut, making identification difficult. Four forest teams were deployed to comb nearby fields and forest fringes.Rupaidih range officer Atul Srivastava said efforts were underway to trace the animal, and villagers were advised to remain alert and not let children venture out alone at night.Leopardess trapped, released into wildMeanwhile, in a related development under the Sujauli range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, a leopardess was trapped in a cage early Saturday in Mohkampurwa village. The leopard, estimated to be around 2-and-a-half years old, was medically examined and later released safely into the Trans-Girua forest area. The trapping operation was intensified after a 6-year-old boy was killed by a leopard in the same region last week. While locals expressed relief over the capture, forest officials clarified that it was yet to be confirmed whether the trapped leopard was responsible for the earlier fatal attack.
