SCARE AS LEOPARD SNEAKS INTO B’NGIR ORPHANAGE Sunday, 24 May 2015 | PNS | Balangir | in Bhubaneswar

News in English dailyThe Pioneer

SCARE AS LEOPARD SNEAKS INTO B’NGIR ORPHANAGE

Sunday, 24 May 2015 | PNS | Balangir | in Bhubaneswar

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The inmates of an orphanage here went scary after a leopard sneaked into their premises. Though the eyewitnesses of the leopard are two inmates of the orphanage, on a tip-off, the Forest department soon swung into action and deployed guards to keep a tab on the situation. Sources said the leopard was sighted at a cowshed of Parbatigiri orphanage located at Pathar Chepa along the Balangir-Patnagarh road on the outskirts of Balangir town on Thursday night at around 9.30 pm. Hearing commotion in the cowshed, two inmates of the orphanage, Kartika and Sumit, rushed to the spot to ascertain what had happened.

They had, however, carried mobile phones with them and in the light of the phones they could notice the leopard. Even though terrified by the sight of the big cat, they very carefully came back from there and locked the door of the orphanage so that the other inmates remained safe inside their room. By that time, the leopard had injured a calf and a cow and fled the spot.

“I have visited the spot. In recent times this is first such incident of leopard injuring a calf in Balangir area. Although no pug marks could be located, but going by the eyewitness version, it seems to be an adult leopard, which strayed into the area. There are leopards in Kharsel and Mathkhair reserve forests besides in other adjoining forest areas,” told Divisional Forest Officer Balangir Rashmi Ranjan Nayak. Nayak added, “We are keeping a tab on the situation and forest guards have been deployed there. We have advised the orphanage inmates not to go outside after sunset or before sunrise.”