BELAGAVI: The predator menace seems to have returned to Khanapur taluk with a wild animal killing a calf in a cattle shed at Jamboti village on Saturday night.
Mukund R Havaldar of Jamboti told Express that on Sunday morning, he found one side of the shed broken and the calf missing. The shed is near his field just about 300 metres from the village. After he raised an alarm, villagers started a search for the calf and found its partially-eaten body around 1.5 km away.
They suspect that a tiger killed the calf, but Forest Department officials said it must be a leopard.
There were two full grown buffaloes and a calf in the barn, and a tiger would have preferred the bigger prey, an official said.
Youths Find ‘Leopard’ Cubs.
Two youths found three newborn cubs, said to be of a leopard, in the jungle on the outskirts of Kudremani village in Belagavi taluk on Sunday.
Somanath Arjun Kadalagekar and Balu Kedari Patil immediately left the spot fearing that the mother leopard may return any moment, and informed the Forest Department.
The cubs seem to be a few hours old and have not yet opened their eyes.
The villagers said Kudremani has been facing a leopard menace with several sheep, hens and over 50 dogs killed in the past one month.
When contacted, Belagavi Range Forest Officer Sunita told Express that she was on her way to Kudremani to check the matter.