Bhubaneswar: A viral video on social media appears to show a tiger roaming in the forest near Ekari village in Kodinga range of Nabarangpur district. The viral video prompted a search operation by the forest department.
Led by Kodinga Ranger Purnachandra Nanda and police officer Jugal Kishore Shabar, the operation covered over 20 kilometres of forest area up to the Chhattisgarh border. Despite the extensive search, no tiger pugmarks or sightings have been confirmed.
The incident has caused fear among local residents, but forest officials have urged people to remain calm. The department is currently verifying the video’s authenticity. The forest department and local police are investigating together to determine if a tiger is indeed present in the area.