People of Pechara village in Laxmanachanda mandal were on the edge following rumors of the movement of a tiger that went viral on social media platforms

Nirmal: People of Pechara village in Laxmanachanda mandal were on the edge following rumors of the movement of a tiger that went viral on social media platforms on Monday.

Villagers of Pechara were panicked when photographs of pugmarks of a wild animal were widely shared on WhatsApp groups and Facebook. They hesitated to take up work in farms, fearing the wild animal would attack them. They requested Forest officials to take steps to divert the animal back into the wild.

However, Forest officials did not confirm the movement of the tiger. In-charge Nirmal District Forest Officer K Ram Kishan said there was no tiger in the forests of Pechara village. He said the pugmarks could belong to a leopard. The animal would be identified in a day or two, he added.