A mysterious animal attacked 18 people in Limbai village of Madhya Pradesh’s Barwani district on May 5. Since then, six of the victims have died, with the most recent death reported on June 2. The situation has created fear and confusion in the village.
Villagers believe the attacker is a hyena, but forest officials say they have not found any paw prints or clear signs to confirm the animal’s identity. The deaths started from May 23, with three people dying on that day, one on May 27, and the others on June 1 and 2.
Angry and scared, villagers walked 9 km to the forest department office to protest. They blamed the forest and health departments for being careless and slow to respond. Locals say only four forest officials were sent for the search, and no serious efforts were made until the protest.
“We can’t go to our fields or move around alone. There are no CCTVs for our safety,” said a local resident. Another villager, Arun Jamre, added, “The health department only acted after May 25. Were they waiting for people to die?”
Forest officials said they have advised villagers to avoid going out alone and to get anti-rabies shots. They are patrolling the area and plan to give compensation to the victims’ families.
The forest department also mentioned that they searched a 4 km area near the village but didn’t find any tracks or clues about the animal.
Rajpur’s medical officer, Dr. Devendra Romade, said that all the injured were treated according to standard procedures for animal bites. One person was sent to Barwani in a critical condition, while others received proper care and follow-up.
The identity of the mysterious animal is still unknown, and villagers continue to live in fear.
