Panic gripped Muktsar after a pair of wildcats were spotted roaming near Sangu Dhaun village on Wednesday evening.
The state forest department confirmed that no man-wildlife conflict has been reported in the area and rebutted claims of a few Punjabi news portals that identified the animals as leopards.
Wildlife officials said wildcats are larger and stouter than domestic cats and native to this part of the state.
Punjab’s chief wildlife warden Dharminder Sharma said on Thursday that a team is working to rescue the wild cats, and there is nothing to panic about.
“We are identifying the online content that has posted unverified information about the identity of the wildlife. One portal has assured us that it will remove the online content that may unnecessarily cause panic among the residents,” said Sharma.
Muktsar district forest officer (DFO) Amritpal Singh said that wildcats are a common phenomenon in the agricultural fields in the region, and villagers have been sensitised about their movement in and around Sangu Dhaun.
He said that the traps had been laid for their safe rescue.
“It’s mating season for the wild cats and it generally look for a wet area to stay away from the scorching heat. After spotting the wildcats in the fields, a section of villagers panicked. Our teams have engaged the panchayats and the community leaders to reassure them that the movement of wildcats has not harmed any humans or cattle. Villagers are now exercising utmost restraint, and our teams are working to rescue them from the area,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s mating season for the wild cats and it generally look for a wet area to stay away from the scorching heat. After spotting the wildcats in the fields, a section of villagers panicked. Our teams have engaged the panchayats and the community leaders to reassure them that the movement of wildcats has not harmed any humans or cattle. Villagers are now exercising utmost restraint, and our teams are working to rescue them from the area,” he added.
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