Bhubaneswar: Panic gripped villagers in Machhagarh village in the Patna forest range of Keonjhar district after leopard pugmarks were reportedly spotted near the Patna Range-Karanjia border.
According to local resident Sarda Prasad Satpathy, “At around 8.30 pm on Sunday, I saw a large leopard moving across the area. We immediately informed the forest department and the police, who arrived promptly and launched a search operation.”
Rakesh Swain, a forest official from the Salipur range in Cuttack, said, “We received the information at around 10:30 pm. Four teams reached the site for night patrolling. Though pugmarks were found, we cannot confirm whether they belong to a leopard or some other animal. Samples have been sent to higher authorities, and awareness drives are underway for villagers.”
Keonjhar Divisional Forest Officer Dhanraj HD added, “Pugmarks measuring 12 cm were found in the area. Our special tiger monitoring team is also patrolling. We have installed 35 camera traps in the Atei Reserve Forest to capture photographs.”
The forest department have urged villagers to remain cautious and report any further sightings to authorities immediately.
