VASCO
Residents of Chicalim and Sancoale raised an alarm after a pig was found dead with several injuries by the roadside at Sancoale on Friday morning.
Going by the nature of injuries, locals suspected that the pig was killed by a leopard, which was spotted in certain areas of Sancoale at night.
When contacted, round forest officer Ramakant Naik said he was unaware of the incident.
“I had received a call on Tuesday stating that some residents of Sancoale had sighted a leopard in the area. Acting on the complaints, the forest team searched the area, but the leopard was not located.”
“However, the forest department will take steps to safeguard the residents and rescue the leopard if it is found in the area,” assured Naik.
Leopard sightings are not new in Mormugao taluka and locals claim to have sighted leopards in the past. A few months ago, leopards were sighted in Cortalim, Chicalim, Bogmalo and even Mestawada-Vasco.
Some years ago, the forest department had rescued leopards from Bogmalo area, while one was even spotted with the carcass of a monkey atop a tree opposite the Chicalim Panchayat a few years ago. Residents of Bogmalo have said leopard sightings have become a regular affair and the forest department had also conducted checks in the area.
A few days ago, locals of Mestawada had claimed to have seen a leopard moving in a roadside field at night. A forest team visited the site the next day and had noticed paw marks.
