CUTTACK: Residents of villages near Nandolgada in Salepur block heaved a sigh of relief on Sunday after forest officials clarified that an animal sighted in the area is not a leopard but a wild cat. Cuttack DFO Ashok Kumar Mishra said the pug marks of the animal confirmed it is a wild cat.
“Our staff have asked people not to panic,” he said. On Saturday, some staff on patrolling duty had spotted the wild cat. Mishra said the forest personnel are on alert and more cages have been placed in the area to catch the animal whose sighting led to panic among locals. Forest officials had asked people to remain vigilant after video clip of the animal roaming near Nandolgada went viral.