Bhubaneswar, March 14: Wildlife enthusiasts rejoice as a majestic black panther has once again graced the lush environs of Hemgir forest in Odisha's Sundargarh Forest Division, marking its return after a hiatus of six years.

Pradeep Mirase, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundargarh, revealed that recent camera trap footage has confirmed the presence of the elusive black panther in the Garjanpahad Reserve Forest area of Hemgir forest. This rediscovery underscores the resilience of the Hemgir forest ecosystem, despite facing significant pressures from nearby mining activities.

In addition to the black panther, the camera traps captured glimpses of other captivating wildlife inhabitants, including honey badgers, civet cats, rusty spotted cats, peacocks, mongooses, bears, porcupines, barking deer, hares, wild boars, jungle hens, black cats, and foxes.

Mirase recounted a similar sighting back in 2018, when a black panther was also caught on camera in the Hemgir range of the Sundargarh Forest Division. However, subsequent searches failed to yield any further evidence of its presence until now.

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