In northern Tajikistan, in Devashtich district, a wolf attacked two local shepherds, injuring them. The victims, Aindiddin Tojiboyev and Khursandmurod Olimov, residents of the Qalai Dush village in the Vahdat jamoat, were hospitalized at the district's central hospital.
The incident occurred at a pasture when Aindiddin Tojiboyev was herding sheep. He told Asia-Plus that he saw a wolf and decided to approach it.
"My curiosity got the best of me, and I went toward the wolf to get a closer look. I was sitting and watching it when suddenly the wolf attacked. In fear, I struck it several times with the knife I had in my hand," he said.
According to Tojiboyev, his partner, Khursandmurod Olimov, rushed to help, but the wolf also injured him. Despite their injuries, the two shepherds managed to kill the wolf using a knife and a shepherd’s staff.
Aindiddin Tojiboyev noted that in his 10 years of working as a shepherd, this was the first time he had encountered a wolf.
Hospitalization of the victims
Soleh Avzalzoda, head of the surgical department at Devashtich central hospital, told Asia-Plus that Aindiddin Tojiboyev and Khursandmurod Olimov were hospitalized with serious injuries to their faces, foreheads, and hands.
"Aindiddin Tojiboyev’s condition was more serious, so we placed him in the intensive care unit. Both victims arrived at the hospital simultaneously, and they showed clear signs of animal attacks," he said.
The doctor added that the victims received the necessary injections, including antiviral medications, and after three days of treatment, their condition showed improvement.
Other cases of wolf attacks
This is the second wolf attack in the Devashtich district in late November. On November 22, a wolf killed over 10 livestock in the village of Basmandar and injured several other animals.
Each year, dozens of people in Tajikistan are injured or killed in attacks by bears and wolves. For instance, in 2019, two women were killed in Shugnan district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) by wolves.
Wild animals typically attack residents in the mountainous regions of the country, causing injuries and sometimes even fatal wounds.
