Leopard spotted in residential area in Coonoor, triggers panic

COIMBATORE: A leopard caught on CCTV taking a casual stroll in a thickly populated neighbourhood in Coonoor has triggered panic among residents.

Amidst complaints from residents on their dogs and domestic animals going missing frequently over the last few days, a camera fixed in Alwarpet and Cornwall Road has captured the snap of a leopard wandering around on Thursday night.

It was in November last year that a leopard made its way into a house in Brooklands area in Coonoor while chasing a dog. The animal then made a quiet exit on its own after spending around 24-hours inside the house. After a gap of a few months, the residents are panicking again over the presence of a leopard and have urged the forest department to capture it and relocate it.

In another wildlife related incident, a wild elephant strayed into Puliampara village in Gudalur and damaged arecanut trees in a farm during night. Power supply was suspended in the area after an electric post was damaged in a tree fall. The elephant then entered into a nearby farm and damaged over 200 plantains before retreating into the forest.