MAYILADUTHURAI: With the district administration confirming fears of a leopard prowling in Mayiladuthurai town by releasing on Saturday a picture of the wild cat that was captured by a camera trap in Semmangulam, the search for the animal intensified for the fourth consecutive day with the deployment of additional personnel and equipment.
The camera trap picture shows the leopard lurking amid the bushes in the dark. It is suspected that the picture was shot before the animal moved to Arokiyanathapuram.
The search operation led by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests V Naganathan on Saturday engaged the services of eight dogs from different breeds such as Rajapalayam, Kombai and Kanni. Officials told TNIE that locals volunteered to have their pet dogs be part of the search operation.
Meanwhile, a baby goat found dead with injuries near the railway station on Saturday raised fears of it having been the leopard’s prey. Nagapattinam Wildlife Warden Abhishek Tomar, however, told TNIE, “The goat was probably killed by a dog and not the leopard.”
The official did not rule out the possibility of leopard attack on another goat near Sitharkadu on Friday and a pig near Semmangulam on Tuesday.
A day after a team from Muthupet in Tiruvarur district and another team from Anaimalai Tiger Reserve in Coimbatore arrived to assist, another team from Mudumalai forest reserve in the Nilgiris district joined them on Friday.
The personnel also increased the number of trap cages to seven from two on Saturday. Three were brought from Sathyamangalam, two from Anaimalai and two from Megamalai reserve. The camera traps have also been increased to 20.