Bhubaneswar, Aug 13 (PTI) Odisha officials have installed trap cameras in a forest area of Sundargarh district after locals claimed to have spotted a tiger in the locality.
According to forest officials,
locals reported seeing a big cat roaming in the forest areas of Lephripada in the district.
Pugmarks were found in a village near Ujalpur forest range of Sundargarh forest division last Monday, prompting authorities to set up cameras at several locations to track the animal, officials said.
"So far, we have neither directly sighted the big cat nor captured the wild animal in the trap cameras. We have installed additional cameras and deployed a rapid response team in the area," Sundargarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Khushwant Singh told PTI over the phone.
The pugmarks are also being examined to determine whether they belong to a tiger or a leopard, he said.
"So far, we have not confirmed the presence of a tiger in the Lephripada area," Singh added.
He claimed some people were circulating a photograph resembling an incident from four to five years ago in Haridwar.
However, the forest officials have launched an awareness drive among locals to ensure their safety, he added. PTI BBM BBM MNB
