Baripada, Jun 9: The death of a 71-year-old man whose mutilated remains were recovered from the fringe area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve has now been officially linked to a leopard attack, forest officials confirmed on Tuesday after receiving a forensic report from Bhubaneswar.

The deceased, identified as Sadhu Charan Nayak from Basantpur village under Jashipur block, had gone to the forest to graze cattle on June 1 but did not return home. His partially eaten and mutilated remains were later recovered from the forest area under the Dudhiani Range of the Karanjia Forest Division.

Forensic Examination Confirms Leopard Attack
According to forest department officials, hair samples recovered from the victim’s leg were sent to a forensic laboratory in Bhubaneswar for examination. The test report confirmed that the attack was carried out by a leopard.

The findings brought clarity to the incident, which had initially triggered uncertainty over whether the death was caused by a wild animal attack or other circumstances.

Villagers Gherao Forest Range Office
Following the incident, residents of around 14 villages staged a protest and gheraoed the Dudhiani Range Office, demanding compensation for the victim’s family and stronger measures to prevent future attacks.

The protest reflected growing concerns among villagers over wildlife movement in the forest fringe areas, where locals frequently enter forests for grazing and other livelihood activities.

DFO Reads Out Report Before Villagers
Karanjia Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ajaya Kumar Sahu reached the spot and held discussions with the agitating villagers.

During the meeting, the DFO reportedly read out the forensic laboratory report in front of the villagers, confirming that a leopard was responsible for Sadhu Charan Nayak’s death.

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Compensation Announced
The forest department assured the victim’s family of Rs 10 lakh compensation in accordance with provisions relating to human casualties caused by wild animal attacks.

Officials also promised to strengthen monitoring efforts in the area.

Camera Traps To Be Installed
To monitor leopard movement and enhance surveillance in the forest fringe villages, the forest department assured residents that camera traps will be installed in the area at the earliest.