COIMBATORE: Forest officials in Madukkarai have set up a cage to capture a leopard suspected of killing a pet dog and devouring its entire body, leaving only the head behind at a grove in Pathimalaivadapuram near Kumittipathi in the early hours of Friday.
The pet dog belonged to V. Sakthivel, who owns a 2.5-acre coconut grove known locally as Sattakkal Pudur Karar Thottam in Kumittipathi, about five kilometres from nearby forest Modamathi.
The attack reportedly occurred around 4 am while the dog was tied in a shed. Sakthivel, who had heard the dog barking at that time, fell asleep soon after. He only realised what had happened at 6 am when he discovered bloodstains and the dog’s severed head some distance away from his house within the grove. Suspecting a leopard attack, he immediately alerted the Madukkarai forest range officials.
A field-level forest staff member confirmed the incident and linked it to a previous attack in the area.
“Sakthivel was not aware of the attack when it happened, as he fell asleep after hearing the dog bark. However, when he woke up at 6 am, he found the dog had been killed. On Tuesday night, a leopard also killed a goat belonging to V. Palanisamy in a nearby grove. The leopard ate most of the goat’s body before returning a few days later to target the dog,” the staff member said.
In response, forest officials have deployed a five-member team to raise awareness among grove owners and their workers about human-leopard conflict.
“We have instructed grove owners to secure their cattle and goats inside sheds for protection. We are also closely monitoring the leopard’s movements using three camera traps,” the staff added.