Bhubaneswar: A late-night sighting of leopards along the Sunabeda–Jamgaon road inside Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary has left commuters in the area on alert.
According to local residents, two leopards were seen near the roadside late last night while vehicles were passing through the stretch in Nuapada district. One of the big cats was reportedly caught on camera before it darted into the forest as a vehicle approached. The second animal was seen in a darker patch beside the road and disappeared into the trees.
A group of travelers who were on their way to Sunabeda recounted the encounter.
“Between Jamgaon and Kalagara Chhak, we saw two leopards. One was right on the road and ran into the forest when it saw our vehicle. The other was standing a little away in the dark near the roadside,” said one of the passengers.
The sudden appearance of the animals caused brief panic among people travelling on the route at night. Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a variety of wildlife, and occasional movement of leopards near forest roads has been reported earlier. However, the Forest Department had not issued any official statement regarding this latest sighting at the time of filing this report.
Forest officials have been urged by locals to increase night patrolling on the Sunabeda–Jamgaon stretch and put up warning signs for motorists to drive cautiously after dark.
