Berhampur (Odisha), Jul 28 (PTI) The Odisha forest department has launched a search operation for a tiger which has been suspected to have killed at least 17 cattle in the last four months in Ganjam district, an official said on Sunday.

The carcass of a bovine was recovered from Dimiripalli under the Jagannath Prasad forest range of the Ghumusar North division on Friday, which was the latest cattle-killing incident in the area, he said.

Also Read | Mann Ki Baat: PM Narendra Modi Highlights Revival of Handloom Industry in His Monthly Radio Broadcast.

Ghumusar North Divisional Forest Officer Himansu Sekhar Mohanty said it was suspected that the tiger killed the bovine, and panic gripped villagers after the "latest attack by the suspected big cat on cattle".

“Our staffers rushed to the spot and seized the carcass for post-mortem examinations,” he said.

Also Read | Delhi Coaching Centre Deaths: Students Demand Accountability, Voice Safety Concerns After Deaths of Three Civil Services Aspirants at Rao's IAS Study Circle.

The tiger is suspected to have killed at least 17 cattle, including calves, in the division in the last four months, another official said.

"Forest personnel have started patrolling nearby areas, and the priority for us is to identify the animal and observe its behaviour," the DFO said.

Mohanty said forest personnel have set up at least 30 trap cameras in nearby areas and at least four teams have been engaged to track the animal's movement.

Villagers have been asked not to venture into the forest area.

Forest officials have also advised the people not to leave their cattle alone for grazing.

They need to capture the big cat soon to protect domestic animals, said Prakash Chandra Sahu, a resident of Bhanjanagar.

Recently, a delegation of local farmers led by Sahu has submitted a memorandum to the DFO, demanding capture of the cattle-eater animal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)