The Odisha Forest Department initiated a search operation at the Biju Patnaik International Airport after a woman working at the nearby dump yard claimed to have spotted a leopard, reported PTI.
Following the report and despite extensive searches conducted by forest officials and local police, no trace of the leopard was found. While the woman’s claim sparked concern, the investigation revealed only pug marks of a jackal, suggesting no evidence of a leopard’s presence on the airport premises.
Previously in 2019, a leopard was captured from the airport grounds and subsequently released into the nearby Chandaka forest.
Bhubaneswar International Airport, a vital hub for Odisha, handles a substantial volume of air traffic and is undergoing significant expansion to accommodate growing passenger demand. Recently, the airport was placed on high alert due to a bomb threat. However, after a comprehensive security sweep, Bhubaneswar airport director Prasanna Pradhan confirmed to OTV that the threat was a false alarm.
(With inputs from PTI)