Villages Near Odisha’s Sunabeda Sanctuary Live In Fear As Leopard Continues Its Killing Spree

Nuapada: The leopard roaming near villages adjacent to Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary struck again on Wednesday. This time the prey is an ox and the incident has been reported from Jalamadhei village inside the sanctuary.

According to sources, the ox was left to graze in the forest on Tuesday evening and the mauled carcass was found the following morning. A team of forest officials have reached the village and started investigation.

The villagers are spending sleepless nights amid the killing spree by the big cat. It has already claimed 12 lives, including six calves and a cow at Powertala and Taria Mahuabhata villages near the sanctuary, this month. A 65-year-old woman of Jalamadhei village was also mauled to death when she had gone to collect firewood near her home on March 23. The leopard had devoured two more calves at Silaribahara on March 27.

Though pug marks have been spotted at all the places, the footage of the leopard also captured on a few occasions on trap cameras installed in the villages, the Forest department is still clueless on the movement of the big cat. It has, however, warned people against venturing out of their house at night.