Odisha panic
Odisha panic erupted in Deogarh district when tiger pugmarks were spotted in the Jharmunda forest near Babajimath village, as mentioned by the Deccan Chronicle. For days villagers had whispered about a big cat, but this was the first solid proof: clear tracks in the soil, measured and marked. Forest officials arrived fast, collecting samples, installing trap cameras, and deploying patrol teams. Loudspeakers warned families not to wander into unsafe areas.
A dedicated monitoring unit was formed under the Riamal range DFO. This is the first time suspected Royal Bengal Tiger pugmarks have appeared in this part of Odisha. Leopards were known here, but tigers seemed distant. Not anymore.
Panic is human. But so is responsibility. Tigers follow corridors we have never respected. If they appear where they haven’t been seen before, it isn’t magic. It is displacement. Every pugmark carries two stories: survival of the animal and failure of the system that pushes it into human sightlines. Odisha panic should not mean fear alone. It must mean accountability, planning, and coexistence before crisis. Read more on tiger corridors.
