Team Herald
PONDA: A leopard was spotted close to human habitat at Borim, which a local mistook for tiger. Panic griped Borim villagers after the news of the “tiger spotting” spread in the village.
The local Shirshirem claimed that at on Tuesday midnight dogs in the locality were barking loud and that even his cow was mooing loud. Disturbed by this, Shirshirem reportedly came out of his house to check why the domestic animals were making loud noise.
In his oral complaint to the local forest office on Wednesday, Shirshirem reportedly said that when he had come out of his house on hearing the noise of the domestic animals, he spotted a tiger which had damaged his fields.
Following this, a team of forest officials from Ponda rushed to the house of Shirshirem to examine his complaint on Thursday. On questioning Shirshirem using photos of a tiger and a leopard, the forest officials learnt that the wildcat seen by Shirshirem was not a tiger, but a leopard.
The officials told Herald that they have been receiving frequent complaints of leopard spotting by locals at Agapur, Kavlem, Talavalim, Usgao and Borim.
“As soon as locals alert us, we inspect the areas and advise the villagers on taking safety measures. This is mating season and leopards are moving in jungles. So far, there is no leopard and human clash in this area,” an officer said.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Borim, Kalvem, Talavali, Usgao, Dharbandora, Sacorda emphasised that the forest office needs take safety measures to save the lives of people and their animals.
