MNDF investigates reported sighting of unidentified feline in Maafaru

The Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has initiated patrols at Maafaru International Airport in response to reports of a sighting of a strange animal.

A low-quality video showing an animal walking across a bush line has gone viral on social media. Despite its blurry nature, the animal in the video appears to be a feline, but noticeably larger than typical domestic cats.

Maafaru Council President Mohamed Adnan stated that a group of expats working at the airport captured the video on Monday morning, and they reported the sighting to MNDF in the afternoon.

Adnan's voiced concern over the possibility of the animal moving inland. "It is quite large, and we are still unsure of its identity. What is concerning is that despite the presence of fences, it could enter the inland through the beach," he said.

The council president added that there were no visible signs of any animal residing in the area prior to the sighting reported by the airport workers.

The authority broke fears and speculation on Tuesday, June 27, when it assured that the animal was unlikely to be dangerous, and suggested that the animal being a larger cat is highly possible.

MNDF addressed concerns and speculation on Tuesday, June 27 by assuring the public that the animal in question was unlikely to be dangerous. They further said that the possibility of it being a larger cat was high.

Regarding the incident, an MNDF media official said that officers stationed at the airport had been conducting inspections at the site since receiving the report from Maafaru Council on Monday afternoon. Despite searches, no animal fitting the description was found. Officers had been once again dispatched on Tuesday morning to locate the animal.

"Besides a normal cat, we did not discover any other animal. So, it is highly possible that it was this animal that was captured on video, but due to the quality and angle of the video, it appeared larger than it really was," the media official said.

Though not common, there have been a few occasions where animals that are not typically found in the region have been spotted in the Maldives, such as snakes, seals, and crocodiles. Some of these animals may have drifted to the Maldives, while others may have been stowaways on foreign ships that docked in the country.