ERODE: The forest department on Saturday captured one of the two leopards that had been terrorising Marayipalayam village for more than three months in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district. It was subsequently released in a dense forest in Thengumarahada, about 40 kilometre away.
Residents of Marayipalayam had been complaining of a leopard that was killing livestock. The Vilamundi forest range personnel were apprised of the threat officially on November 8.
It came from the Marayipalayam hillock under the Vilamundi forest range in the STR.
Then the presence of leopard was confirmed based on drone surveillance and the forest department staff immediately conducted a detailed field inspection at the reported location.
The inspection revealed two leopards were based in the hillock.
"Subsequently, wide awareness was given and the public was alerted. For the past three months, the hillock was continuously monitored to observe the presence and movement of the leopards," a senior official of the forest department said.
"We placed cages in three strategic locations to capture those two leopards. Moreover, we had been waiting for their movement for a long time. During the early morning hours on Saturday, one male leopard was trapped in the cage installed in the Marayipalayam hillock area," the official added.
It is aged between 8 to 10 years.
"After capture, the leopard was examined and handled as per standard wildlife rescue protocols. Then the animal was safely transported for relocation and released into a dense forest area of Thengumarahada. The monitoring of the second leopard is continuing. We believe that since one leopard has been trapped, another will surely come out. We still do not know the gender of the hidden leopard."
"Though the villagers had claimed more than 30 livestock were killed by these leopards, the information we received during the inquiry is not like that," another official said.