Kalimela (Malkangiri): Panic gripped the residents of Niliguda and neighbor Materu villages under Podia block of Malkangiri district after a tiger was allegedly spotted in a nearby forest. A purported video of the tiger roaming around in the forest has now been going viral on social media platforms. Some villagers claimed that they have seen tiger pug marks in the forest. They claimed that the tiger has allegedly killed two- three cattle.
The development has created an atmosphere of fear among the residents of the two villages. Now, they are afraid to step out of their houses. They villagers who mostly depend on forest produce for a livelihood are afraid to go into the forest. This has severely affected their agriculture work and livelihood.
However, Malkangiri forest officer Sushant Kumar Dalei refuted the claims. “The purported video is not from Malkangiri. It is from Karnataka’s Hubli Sanctuary. I’m not sure from where the video originated and who is making it viral on social media. I have directed the forest officials to reach the village and spared awareness among the villagers,” Dalei stated. ‘Action will be taken against the miscreants for spreading fake news,” he further added.