Bhubaneswar, July 9: Forest officials today captured a jackal while combing the villages and forests in Niali searching for the "mysterious" animals that has killed more than 200 sheep there over the past two months.

The jackal has been taken to Nandankanan Zoological Park for investigation.

Principal chief conservator of forests S.S. Srivastava said the three-foot-long jackal was caught from Dihasithala village around 12.30pm today. However, Srivastava could not confirm if jackals were behind the killing of sheep in Niali where sheep farmers have been spending sleepless nights for the past two months in the wake of the attacks on their flock.

"The jackal was caught around 12.30pm today with the help of local residents during combing by our men. But, we are not sure if this is the animal involved in the attack on sheep. Our vigil in Niali will continue," he said.

Local residents said the young jackal caught by them was part of a pack of four, but three others managed to escape into the nearby forest. Baripada divisional forest officer Sanjay Kumar Swain said the hair of the animal would be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for examination.

Phulnakahara ranger Himanshu Mohanty said the jackal looked "stressed". Mohanty also could not confirm if jackals were responsible for the killing of sheep in Niali.

In another development, about a dozen sheep were found dead at Badapathar village of Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district last night.

Local residents said that the sheep at the village had been killed in the same manner as in Niali in Cuttack district. The incident had caused panic among the residents there as well.