NILGIRIS: A house owner at Selvappa Colony in Moyar village near Masinagudi locked his house from the outside, trapping a leopard inside after it entered the house while chasing a dog on Wednesday night. After over five hours of efforts, officials of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) placed a cage, captured the leopard, and released it into the reserve forest.
N Sivakumar, who owns two houses in close proximity, locked the leopard in one of the houses upon hearing his dog bark when the leopard was trying to grab it around 9.15 pm. Although the big cat showed aggressive behaviour, it did not kill the dog, which was also inside the house.
After locking the house, Sivakumar, with the help of residents, informed Masinagudi Forest Range officials, who visited the spot and asked residents to avoid shouting as the leopard was aggressive. The big cat appeared confused and repeatedly ran towards a window where residents were taking videos and photographs.
V Rajan, Masinagudi FRO, told TNIE that officials asked residents to return to their houses by 11 pm so that the operation could be carried out peacefully. “Based on the instructions of MTR Field Director R Kiruba Shankar, we placed an automatic cage at the entrance. Soon after the door was opened, the animal entered the cage and was trapped. We examined the animal and found no injuries,’ Rajan said. They safely relocated and released it into the reserve forest in Sigur by 2.30 am, he added.