Forest Dept mounts search operations for elusive leopard in Tirupur farm

The animal was last spotted at around 7.30 pm on Monday by the Forest Department staff in the maize field at Pappankulam village near Avinashi. Three persons, including a Forest Department staff, survived the leopard attack with injuries. Once the Forest Department confirmed the presence of the carnivore, the staff raised a net fence around the farm and mounted surveillance by fixing CCTVs, used drones and deployed multiple teams to track the leopard. Three cages with meat as bait were also placed in the farm. However, the leopard could not be found, when the officials carried out a search on Tuesday morning. “A team comprising an expert veterinarian mounted on a JCB had moved around the farm to track down and dart the animal with tranquilizer. Crackers were fired to bring the animal out of the farm. Yet there was no trace of the animal in the forest cover,” said an official.

Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) Field Director S Ramasubramanian said that the leopard had moved out of Pappankulam. “To allay the fears of villagers and as a precaution, the department will continue with its monitoring activity in the neighbouring villages and farms,” he said. Panic spread after villagers claimed to have spotted the leopard in the neighbouring Panjalingampalayam village. But, Forest Department ruled it out as speculations after a search.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department advised people in Pappankulam and neighbouring areas not to venture out during dark and stay alert while going to farms.