Two injured in fox attack at Gadhinglaj, second attack in Kolhapur district within two days

Kolhapur: Just a day after a 14-month-old was injured in a fox attack in Adkur village, two more residents — an 80-year-old man and a 7-year-old girl — were attacked by a fox in Madyal village on Tuesday evening. The recurring incidents have spread panic across Chandgad and Gadhinglaj tehsils of Kolhapur district.The victims of the latest attack have been identified as Rachappa Soma Gheji (80) and Shravya Rajendra Hamnavar (7). Both are undergoing treatment at the sub-district hospital in Gadhinglaj.The incident occurred while Rachappa Gheji was irrigating his sugar cane field on Tuesday afternoon. The fox lunged at him unexpectedly, biting his right leg. Initially mistaking the animal for a stray dog, Gheji began washing his wound when the fox returned for a second time, biting his left leg. The elderly farmer managed to defend himself by striking the animal with a farm tool, forcing it to flee.Shortly after, the same fox encountered 7-year-old Shravya, who was playing nearby, and attacked her. The commotion alerted locals, and both victims were rushed to the hospital.The back-to-back attacks in Adkur (Monday) and Madyal (Tuesday) have left the farming community on edge. "The forest department must take immediate action," said Satish Koshti, a farmer from Madyal. "We already live in fear of gaurs, leopards, and tuskers at night. Now, even during the day, foxes are attacking us. How are we supposed to work in our fields?"Responding to the crisis, the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team successfully trapped the fox on Wednesday. Range forest officer (RFO) Sachin Sawant noted that such aggression is highly unusual for the species."This is the first reported fox attack in Gadhinglaj region," Sawant said. "Foxes are typically shy, nocturnal animals. Given that these attacks occurred during daylight, we suspect the animal may be rabid. We are conducting tests to confirm if it is infected with the rabies virus."