COIMBATORE: Sirumugai forest range officials ruled out leopard attack after a goat owner claimed that a big cat killed 20 of his goats in a shed at Chettithottam, Annur, on Sunday. Officials suspect stray dogs may be responsible and have installed three camera traps in the area.
According to forest sources, officials who inspected the shed found only 18 goats dead. The goats, around five months old, were brought from Tuticorin when they were two months old by their owner, Mohankumar.
“The owner claimed that a leopard had killed the goats between 2:30 am and 6 am on Sunday. However, since his house is far from the shed, he only learned about the deaths at 8 am after locals noticed the incident.
Even the neighbours did not hear any noises from the goats or dogs, and no one directly witnessed the attack,” said a forest official who inspected the site.
“It is unusual for a leopard to kill 18 goats in just a few hours. Additionally, we did not find any pug marks of the carnivore. Instead, we observed dog paw prints. To confirm whether the attack was carried out by a group of stray dogs, we have installed three camera traps and will closely monitor any movement,” the official added.
Officials stated that compensation for the owner would be considered only if it is proven that a leopard was responsible for the attack.