Rautahat, October 28

Jackals have been terrorising locals at Garuda Municipality and two VDCs in Rautahat for the past one month.

A school teacher lost his life and 55 others were injured in jackal attacks at the municipality’s ward number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, and 12, and at Pipariya, Dostiya, and Pipariya Pokhariya VDCs within a month. People have been living in fear of other possible jackal attacks.

As many as 28 people of the same place were injured in a single day after jackals attacked them on October 4. Of the injured, 18 critical cases were referred to Kathmandu-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.

Of them, school teacher at Mohammadpur Lower Secondary School of Garuda Municipality Basanta Kumar Yadav, 29, died in October 23. Yadav was referred to Tilganga Eye Hospital from Teku as his eyes had been viciously attacked. He took his last breath in the course of treatment.

Chief District Officer Narahari Baral said that the number of jackals have increased in the areas because of the haphazard disposal of the bodies of dead chicken by local poultry farms. He advised locals to take safety measures against jackal attacks.

A special team deployed from the Central Regional Health Directorate and Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital has been launching an awareness programme on the issue.

Regional Heath Director Dr Ramesh Bikram Singh said that five different teams have reached the affected areas and have been conducting awareness programmes against rabies in the villages.