NUAPADA: Leopard scare gripped another village near Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary after the prowling big cat preyed on a cow on Saturday night. The incident was reported from Belardana village in Komna block. On Sunday morning, a villager found his cow missing and raised an alarm. Subsequently, the half-eaten carcass of the cow was found a few metres away from the village.
Belardana is located at a distance of around 5-7 km from Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary. DFO, Territorial Sushil Kumar Tripathy said, “On being informed, forest staff went to the village. Forest personnel and the villagers were able to spot the leopard. The pug marks of the big cat were also found in Belardana. The villagers have been advised not to venture out of their houses after evening.”
In the month of March, the leopard claimed at least 12 lives including six calves and a cow in Powertala and Taria Mahuabhata villages under Amanara gram panchayat (GP) and a 65-year-old woman and a cow in Jalmadei under Soseng GP. This apart, the large cat has also killed three cattle including an ox in Silaribahara village.