Bhubaneswar: Panic prevailed in Rayagad of Gajapati district after the movement of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) was captured in the trap camera installed in a forest on Andhra-Odisha border.
The forest officials advised locals not to venture outside, particularly during night time and to follow the forest department’s instructions.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife Susanta Nanda appealed to the people to remain calm.
“There is no need to panic. It is quite obvious of the wild animals like tigers, and leopards being trapped in camera as the tiger census is underway,” Nanda said.
On October 18, the tiger reportedly dragged a cow from a shed in Santoshpur village within the Mahendra-Narayanpur forest range in Rayagad block of the district. Following the incident, the locals are in fear and scared.
The State government is providing Rs 20,000 as compensation to the owners in case of death of cattle in a tiger attack.
Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Paralakhemundi, Ashok Behera said the tiger might have sneaked into Gajapati forest from Andhra Pradesh.
The forest department deployed five trap cameras after finding pugmarks. The cameras captured the movement of the RBT.
“We have deployed five teams consisting of 35 forest personnel to alert people living in the bordering areas and instruct them not to step out of their homes at night”, the ACF said.
The locals should keep their cattle and domestic animals inside the shed.
