At least 15 people, including a child, have been injured by jackal bites in Mirzapur, Tangail. The attacks happened on Sunday (30 October) in Sahapara, Sarishadair and Paharpur villages of Mirzapur municipality. The injured were treated at various hospitals and clinics.

Speaking to local people, it was learned that at around 10am on Sunday a pack of jackals bit and mauled several people in the Sarishadair area, then moved on to Paharpur and Sahapara, biting people there.

Those injured include Hamza Mia, 37, son of Falu Sheikh of Sarishadair village; Gobinda Sutradhar, 23, son of Niranjan Sutradhar, and Jagadish Sarkar, 25, son of Montosh Sarkar, both of Sahapara village; day labourer Mukul Mia, 35, of the Kurigram area; Shampa Ghosh, 34, of Ghoshpara in Sarishadair village; Lajlu Mia, 40, son of Sharbesh Mia; and Tamim, the nine-year-old son of Shahjada. At least 15 people were injured in all. They reportedly received treatment at Kumudini Hospital and other health centres.

The jackals also bit and injured a cow belonging to Majnu Mia of Sarishadair village.

Day labourer Mukul Mia, one of the injured, said he was working on the road when a jackal suddenly came and bit him.

Gobinda Sutradhar said he was standing on the road talking with some people about the jackal bites when, in an instant, a jackal came and bit him.

Mirzapur upazila health and family planning officer Dr Faridul Islam said no patient bitten by a jackal had come to the hospital. Anyone bitten by a jackal must be given the rabies vaccine, which is given on all working days except holidays, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.