Bolangir: Residents of Kurli near Kantabanji town in Bolangir district are in a state of fear after finding pug marks of a leopard in the village.
Villagers are seen staying indoors by shutting their doors out of fear.
Even though some pug marks have been found near the village, it is not clear whether it is a tiger or something else.
On Wednesday evening, some people claimed to have seen a leopard roaming around the village. Even a video clip of the leopard roaming on a small bridge near the village went viral. People panicked after the viral video claimed the incident is from Kurli village.
The report also triggered panic among the residents of Kantabanji town which is adjacent to Kurli village.
On the information, Kantabanji ranger along with a forest team rushed to the village at night and launched an operation to locate the big cat.
The forest officials advised the people not to panic and stay cautious.
“We have started operation to trace the tiger. It will be clear from the footprints whether it is a tiger or something else. If it is a tiger, we will make people aware not to leave the house. We will also try to capture the cat,” Kantabanji ranger said.
Meanwhile, the forest department is investigating the authenticity of the viral video.
A few years ago, a leopard entered Kurli village and created panic. The police and the forest department had a tough time to capture the tiger.
