Bhubaneswar, Nov. 22 -- Panic spread among Parimal villagers in Tihudi under Niali block in Odisha's Cuttack on Saturday after they discovered a dead animal near the Devi river and mistook it for a tiger cub.

According to reports, the sighting triggered panic among local residents before the Forest Department intervened and clarified the species identification.

According to reports, some villagers who had gone out early in the morning for defecation spotted the lifeless animal lying on the riverbank. Assuming it to be a tiger cub, fear spread rapidly across the locality, prompting residents to alert forest officials.

Local villager Malay Lenka said the initial sighting caused considerable anxiety in the area. He stated, "Early in the m...