Bahraich, Nov. 14 -- A four-year-old girl was reportedly dragged away by a wolf in Bahraich district on Thursday morning, marking the latest in a string of deadly animal attacks that have terrorised the region in recent months. The incident took place around 10 am in Naya Lodhan Purva hamlet of Godhiya No. 3 village under Kaiserganj tehsil. The missing child, identified as Jhanvi, daughter of Santosh, was playing outside her home when a wolf suddenly emerged from a nearby paddy field, pounced on her, and ran toward the sugarcane fields before anyone could react. Panic gripped the village as family members and neighbors raised an alarm. Villagers tried to chase the animal, but it disappeared into dense vegetation. "The girl was playing near the door. My two daughters-in-law and a grandson were present when the wolf came from the field, grabbed her, and disappeared," said Sajanlal, the girl's grandfather. Upon receiving information, Kaiserganj ranger Omkar Yadav and his team reached the spot. The forest department, assisted by villagers, launched a massive search operation in the sugarcane fields. Drone cameras have been deployed to scan the thick vegetation in the hope of finding the child or tracing the animal. DFO Ram Singh Yadav confirmed that the operation is ongoing. "Villagers reported that the attacker was a wolf, and there are no other wild animals in the vicinity. Based on the circumstances, it appears the attack was indeed carried out by a wolf. This would be the eighth fatal incident of its kind in the region," he said. He added that drone surveillance and ground searches are continuing, though no conclusive lead has been found so far. The DFO urged residents of nearby villages to remain alert and to ensure that small children are not left unattended, warning that the threat from wild animals remains serious. Over the past few months, seven people, including five children and an elderly couple, have been killed in wolf attacks across Bahraich, while more than two dozen others have been injured. The forest department has reportedly shot dead three wolves, while another escaped after being wounded. Meanwhile, leopards have also been creating panic in Mahsi tehsil under the Bahraich Forest Division. DFO Yadav said that a leopard recently injured two children in Tepara and Parsauna villages. In response, three cages have been installed in the area, and awareness and tracking operations have been intensified. As search teams continued their operation late into the evening, the fate of little Jhanvi remained uncertain, and fear once again engulfed the villages of Bahraich....