Balrampur: A 19-day-old baby, sleeping next to her mother in a makeshift shelter, was allegedly taken by a wild animal here in a village, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred late Tuesday night when Geeta Devi was asleep with her daughter, Kajal, in an orchard in Bhujera village that comes within the Barahawa range, according to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dr. Sem Maran M.

“A wild animal allegedly took the baby around midnight. When Geeta Devi woke up to a sound, she discovered the baby was missing. She raised an alarm and villagers began searching, but the baby could not be found,” he said.

Two forest department teams were dispatched to track the animal, the DFO said, adding that no footprints or clues had been found so far.

“We are setting up traps near the village and installing tracking cameras in the area to identify and capture the animal responsible,” he added.

Authorities are working closely with the villagers to ensure their safety and resolve the incident, the DFO said. 

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