Footprints of animal suspected to be from dog family found on farm land in Ariyalur district

 Footprints of an animal suspected to be that of a dog family was found at a couple places on a farm land at Athukurichi village in neighbouring Ariyalur district on Sunday evening triggering a scare and prompting the intervention of the police and the Forest department officials. 

 Footprints of an animal suspected to be that of a dog family was found at a couple places on a farm land at Athukurichi village in neighbouring Ariyalur district on Sunday evening triggering a scare and prompting the intervention of the police and the Forest department officials. 

A Forest Department team analysed the footprints to determine the animal and were on the job of finding out if there were more such footprints of the animal in the vicinity.  The local villagers have been advised not to panic but remain vigilant.  Acting on an alert from a local who spotted the footprints, officials from the police, revenue and forest departments jointly went to the spot and conducted inquiries. 

A search was conducted till Sunday night.  A Forest Department official said the department team continued their searches at Athukurichi and its nearby places on Monday too in an effort to find out if there were more footprints of the animal anywhere in the vicinity and in the neighbouring villages, or its faeces or any other traces. However, the officials said they could not come across more footprints.

The footprints that were found appeared to that of an animal belonging to the dog family and not cat family,  a senior Forest department official said and added that villagers of Athukurichi and those residing in nearby villages had been advised to stay safe and venture out as a group and inform the department officials in case they noticed movement of the animal.