Bhubaneswar: The Odisha forest department has put to rest rumors of a leopard sighting near the Biju Patnaik International Airport-Bhubaneswar, clarifying that it is unlikely for a leopard to be in the state capital.
Following reports of an alleged leopard sighting near the airport’s dumping yard, forest officials acted promptly by setting up trap cameras to monitor any animal movement. They also placed cages with chicken as bait in an effort to capture the animal if it appeared.
Despite these efforts, no leopard showed up, leading forest officials to believe it was likely a wild cat. No pugmarks or other evidence of a leopard were found in the area, confirming there was no trace of the big cat.
Radhakanta Hota, the local range officer, urged the public to disregard social media rumors about a leopard sighting.
“We have not found any signs of a leopard here. The trap cameras have only captured images of a wild cat. Experts will verify the footage to confirm if it’s a wild cat or another species,” Hota explained.