Daringibadi: The alleged presence of a tiger on the premises of the Government Girls High School’s hostel in the Jhingiriguda panchyat of Daringibadi block in Kandhamal district has created panic among students and staff.
Sources said hostel attendant Kuku Kom’s husband Amit Mallik spotted the tiger when it jumped the hostel’s boundary wall Friday night. Amit said that as it was night and as the girls were in the hostel everyone escaped. He informed Headmaster Baraju Prasad Nayak about the tiger.
The presence of the animal has created insecurity among students. It is difficult for students to go outside the hostel after evening. The staff of the hostel said they face problems in taking students to hospital at night.
Block Welfare Extension Officer Mangooli Charan Pradhan, Brahmanigaon Forest Officer Lalait Mohan Nayak and Forester Naveen Kishore Mallik came to the spot Monday and started an investigation.
After visiting the area the Foresters said the area was full of grass and bushes and finding pugmarks of the tiger was difficult. The Forest Department suspects that it may be a hyena.
There is a boundary wall for both the hostel and the school. But there is a jungle near the hostel and the Udamaha Hill is also close by. The height of the boundary wall is too less, and so it is easy for wild animals to come in.
Headmaster Baraju Prasad Nayak said there is a need for barbed wire fencing for the school. He said some school staffers saw the tiger way back in February. At that time he had not given importance to the matter. But this time he informed Forest officials.
PNN