MP: Hyena or jackal? Forest officials puzzled as six die in attack by unidentified wild animal
Indore/Barwani, June 4 (PTI): Amid a mystery surrounding the identity of a wild animal that bit 17 people last month, leading to the death of six due to suspected rabies infection, in MP's Barwani district and villagers claim of spotting a hyena, forest officials now suspect the attacking animal could be a jackal.
A forest official on Wednesday night said the carcass of a jackal was found in a dry well during the search operation.
"Statements of victims and eyewitnesses strengthen the belief that the jackal had attacked villagers on May 5," Barwani's Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashish Bansod told reporters.
He said the carcass appeared to be about 25 days old.
According to Bansod, local people might have killed the jackal by tying its hind legs and throwing it in the well following the May 5 incident when 17 people were bitten by an unidentified animal.
"Before cremating the jackal as per norms, we had taken a sample from its carcass. This sample will be sent to Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur to ascertain whether the jackal was infected with rabies," he added.
According to officials, the yet-to-be-identified animal might be infected with the rabies virus, though confirmation is awaited pending lab reports.
The attack occurred in the early hours of May 5 in Limbai village, located about 4.5 km away from the forest boundary, and nearby areas, where 17 people were bitten while sleeping outside their homes due to the heat.
All the victims were administered anti-rabies vaccines, officials said. However, between May 23 and June 2, six of them succumbed, officials said.
Earlier in the day, Forest Range Officer Vikas Jamre told PTI that locals reported spotting a hyena in the area around the time of the incident.
Barwani Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Surekha Jamre said that a 35-year-old man injured in the attack is currently stable and receiving treatment at the district hospital.
"All others who were bitten are under observation and in stable condition," she said.
To ascertain if the victims contracted rabies, brain tissue samples from one of the deceased and saliva samples from surviving patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, she added.
Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, dean of Indore-based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, said, "We suspect that six people from Barwani district died due to rabies. To confirm this, the brain tissue of a deceased person has also been sent to a laboratory in Delhi for further testing. The report is awaited".
The state government has given a compensation of Rs 8 lakh each to the families of the six deceased.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav spoke to family members of villagers mauled by the unidentified animal over the phone and assured them of all possible help.
Khargone-Barwani Lok Sabha member Gajendra Singh Patel, Rajya Sabha member Sumer Singh Solanki, and other leaders of BJP reached Limbai village and interacted with the kin of victims.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
