COIMBATORE: As part of monitoring a leopard's movement, Boluvampatti forest range staff placed 10 pairs of camera traps in the surroundings of a grove on the north side of Kuppepalayam near Devarayapuram.
Camera traps have been placed soon after the movement of a leopard was caught in CCTV footage near the grove owned by Sakthi, creating panic among the villagers. After the video was shared widely on social media, the staff visited the spot and inquired with the grove owner.
There have been no cases of leopard attack on domestic animals so far.
"The animal will likely come in the wee hours in search of easy prey. The animal approached near the grove since it was located very close to the Narasipuram Devarayapuram forest beat, which is the tri-junction of the Coimbatore, Boluvampatti, and Madukkarai forest ranges. Though the camera traps will be helpful in monitoring the animal, our staff will also be posted at night. We are sure that we will be able to prevent human-leopard conflict," said a forest official.
"We have placed camera traps to check whether the animal is killing cattle, and if needed, a cage will be placed to relocate the animal in the future. We suspect the animal is moving from Madukkarai forest to Boluvampatti forest as a few days ago the big cat had killed a few goats at the Mavuthampathi settlement," the official added.