Even more than 24 hours after the deployment of a 20-member special team from the Similipal National Park at Niali, the killer wild animals preying on domestic sheep in the area were still elusive on Wednesday.
Neither the team has been able to catch the wild animals nor have the members even traced a single predator till this report was filed.
At least three more sheep were killed and two others went missing on Tuesday night from the area even in the presence of the elite team. Meanwhile, anger and anxiety among the people of the area ran high as they are feeling helpless and apprehensive.
Sources said lack of coordination between the local forest staff and the special team is creating the main stumbling block in the operation. Although the Similipal team is determined to catch the wild animals soon, they are expecting sincere cooperation from the locals.
The team had spread nets and burst crackers to drive the wild animals to a specific location while some others were waiting with tranquiliser guns to sedate the animals.
A member of the team, however, claimed that he had seen at least three animals looking like wolves escaping to the forests on Wednesday morning. DFO SN Swain, who is heading the special team, informed that his team would be deployed in the area for five more days and would scout the area round the clock to catch the killer animals, which have mauled at least 200 sheep in the locality during last two months. PNS