Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, July 7: Even as the mystery over killing of sheep at Niali in Cuttack district remains to be solved, nine fresh cases were reported from Ali Pingal in Jagatsinghpur district today.

While forest officials have not been able to catch the killer animals, one more sheep was killed and two others found injured at Bilasuni village under the Niali block.

This happened despite the presence of forest officials and a special team from Similipal National Park in the area. Forest officials have set traps to capture the killer animals.The special team from Similipal equipped with tranquilliser guns and drone cameras have intensified their search for the predators believed to be a pack of wolves. The local residents have also been claiming that the killer takes away vital organs of the sheep.

More than 150 sheep have been killed in the area within 45 days spreading fear among the local residents.

In a related development, the Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) has urged the state forest and environment minister for a review of compensation rules for loss of sheep, goats and other livestock.

The law needs to be amended as "the defective and inadequate compassionate rules for wild animal attacks are causing enormous hardship to poor people of the state," the WSO said in a memorandum, seeking the minister's intervention.

"The recent mass killings of sheep by wild animal is a case to the point," the memorandum stated.

The forest department has refused to pay compensation for deaths of sheep in Niali in the absence of provisions in the Compassionate Payment Rules. The WSO expected the government "to expand the definition of cattle to include 'sheep and goats' which are popularly reared in most parts of the State".

At present, the rules provide for payment in case of bullocks and cows only.

The wild animals - most likely a pack of wolves in Niali - mass killing of sheep has attracted a lot of public attention. Sheep farmers are miffed as the forest department has refused to pay compensation.

"We are deeply concerned over this issue as the resentment over non-payment of compensation may boil over leading to fatal consequences for a highly endangered animal that is in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972," WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty said in the memorandum on Tuesday.

An expert team of the animal husbandry and veterinary services department after investigating the mass deaths of sheep in Niali had found that they were victims of an unidentified "predatory animal" who killed them for their viscera.

More than one predatory animal is involved, the team had concluded.