Panic gripped the residents of Palaspalli, Bhimatangi and nearby localities in the city after a leopard was reportedly spotted in the area on Sunday night.
The visuals of the animal entering the compound of a house at Palaspalli were captured in CCTV cameras.
The leopard entered the premises of the house after scaling the boundary wall of the airport, said a resident, Bankanidhi Senapati.
“I was talking over phone when the leopard entered our campus at around 11 pm yesterday. I panicked as the wild animal was just a few metere away from where I was standing,” said Senapati.
Senapati further stated that it was only after the animal went out he raised an alarm and informed others about the presence of the leopard. “When I narrated the entire incident, others did not believe me. It was only after they saw the CCTV footage, they believed me,” he added.
City DFO Ashok Mishra said, “Sighting of leopard in Bhubaneswar is quite unusual. It could have strayed from the Chandaka forest and we are sending a team to the spot.”
Latest reports said a 25-member Forest Department team rushed to the spot and launched a search operation in Palaspalli and Bhimatangi trying to trace the animal and capture it.
