Villagers lay siege to forest dept vehicle in Thondamuthur, protest against wild animal intrusions
They resorted to the protest after a goat calf was found mauled to death by a carnivore in the shed of a farmer named Vivek at Attukal near Thondamuthur in the early morning hours of Thursday.
Villagers in Thondamuthur area near Coimbatore staged a protest against the forest department on Thursday
COIMBATORE: Villagers besieged a forest department vehicle in the Thondamuthur area near Coimbatore on Thursday, demanding stern measures against leopard and elephant intrusions in their neighbourhood.
They resorted to the protest after a goat calf was found mauled to death by a carnivore in the shed of a farmer named Vivek at Attukal near Thondamuthur in the early morning hours of Thursday.
On receiving information, forest department staff reached the spot and confirmed the carnivore to be a leopard with its pug marks.
Meanwhile, the angry villagers accused the authorities of inaction despite frequent intrusions by leopards and wild elephants.
On Tuesday night, a wild elephant, in search of food and water, had made its way into the house of the same farmer, Vivek, by breaking open the gates.
The elephant also damaged an electric fence put up by two other farmers and raided tapioca crops raised on over six acres of land.
As the agitated villagers laid siege to the official vehicle on Thursday and refused to let the frontline forest department staff go, a team of officials and police from the Thondamuthur station arrived at the scene and pacified them.
They were assured that two cages would be placed in the village to trap the leopard. Surveillance cameras too would be installed to monitor its movement, the officials said.
It was also decided to take up additional patrolling along the forest boundaries during the evenings to prevent elephants from coming out.
Meanwhile, the villagers have also demanded adequate stock of crackers and searchlights for the frontline staff involved in elephant-driving operations.