Bhubaneswar: A wild cat was spotted near the Bhubaneswar Airport dump yard early this morning during a search operation by the Forest Department. It was earlier suspected that a leopard was present in the area.

Initially, two women who were working at the site reported seeing a leopard prowling the area, following which the department launched a search operation to trace the animal.

"Patrols continued through the night, and we only detected the presence of a wild cat in the area," a Forest official said.

In response to the reported sighting of leopard, the department had set up a cage with chicken bait and positioned four trap cameras in strategic locations to capture any wildlife movement. However, no further signs of animals have been detected.

During their search, officials came across pugmarks similar to those of jackals on Saturday. The tracks, however, were blurred by rain, making them difficult to identify conclusively.