COIMBATORE: Two more trap cages have been set up at the foothills of Othimalai near Sirumugai to capture a leopard that has been keeping farmers and residents in fear for the past three months.
The forest department had installed one cage at the site three months ago. Following requests from farmers in the surrounding villages, two more cages were installed on Wednesday.
The cages, placed less than a kilometre apart, have been baited with live goats in an attempt to lure the leopard. The cages are designed to shut automatically once the animal enters.
According to D Dinesh, forest range officer, Sirumugai, the leopard is suspected to have strayed from the Pethikuttai Reserve Forest and may have been staying around the Othimalai hillock, where it has been frequently preying on dogs in nearby farm holdings.
"We decided to install two more cages as the leopard had repeatedly evaded the existing trap. The move is also aimed at reducing fear among farmers and residents of Thenkalkaradu and Othimalai," Dinesh said.
The forest department has confirmed the presence of an adult leopard through pugmarks found in farmlands and at the foothills. Camera traps have also recorded the animal's movement in the area.
Dinesh said farmers, particularly milkmen, were advised to use torchlights while leaving their farm holdings after dark. They have also been asked to keep lights switched on around areas where cattle are tied, as leopards are generally tend to avoid human interaction.
While dogs have been frequently targeted by the leopard, there have been fewer instances of goat deaths, and no cattle deaths have been reported from Othimalai, Chittepalayam, Thenkalkaradu, Periyathottam and Thimmanur, he said.
Forest department staff have also shared their contact numbers with villagers and advised them to immediately alert officials if they spot the leopard. Forest officials have advised Murugan temple devotees to use the steps only after 7 am each day as a precaution against possible encounters with the leopard.