Villagers panic as leopard kills six goats in Coimbatore

The goats, owned by Rangan, 68, a farmer from Kemmarampalayam, were found dead in his shed in the morning. On receiving information, Forest Department staff rushed to the spot and held a field examination. 

An autopsy was performed on the goats and some of their body parts have been sent for lab tests to identify the carnivore that mauled them to death. 

Panicked villagers urged the Forest Department to set up a trap to capture the leopard. They claimed that so far only elephants and wild boars frequented their villages and this is the first time that a leopard had strayed. Meanwhile, the Forest Department officials said they couldn’t find any pug marks of a leopard. 

“Though there is a suspicion that the animal could be a leopard, it can be ascertained only after receiving the autopsy report. Efforts have been taken to compensate the owner for the death of the goats,” said a Forest Department official. The Forest Department has constituted special teams to monitor the movement of the animal, which is likely to reappear. “Cage trapping will be done once it is confirmed to be a leopard,” said the official.