Lucknow, March 3 -- A day after an eight-year-old girl was mauled to death by stray dogs in Rahimabad, questions are mounting over animal control measures in rural parts of the district, even as police and local authorities began a joint survey of the area on Monday. The victim, Anshika, a Class 1 student and the youngest of three siblings, had stepped out of her home in Taroona village around 6 pm on Sunday. Her body was found about 500 metres away in a field later in the evening, police said. According to residents, some women who had gone towards the fields spotted a child lying motionless and alerted villagers. When locals reached the spot, they found the girl critically injured. She was declared dead soon after. Family members later identified the body. A police officer said preliminary findings indicate a fatal attack by a group of stray dogs. "There were multiple bite marks consistent with an animal attack. Further legal formalities are being completed," said Rahimabad SHO AK Tringunyak, adding that the body was sent for post-mortem examination. On Monday, officials from the local administration and animal husbandry department visited the village to assess the situation. "The menace has been there for a long time. Children are scared to step out alone," said a resident, demanding immediate sterilisation and relocation measures. Police said they are documenting statements from family members and eyewitnesses. Anshika's father, Dilip Kashyap, told officers that his daughter had left home briefly in the evening and the family began searching for her when she did not return....