Forest Dept. places cage to trap leopard at Talavadi in Erode

Forest Dept. places cage to trap leopard in Talavadi villages after it kills cattle. Camera traps used to monitor movement; cage relocated to farm land with bait.

With a leopard continuing to prey on cattle in villages located near the forest area at Talavadi in Erode district, the Forest Department has placed a cage to trap it.

The carnivore that ventured out of the forest a few months ago was using defunct quarries in Doddagajanur and Susaipuram as hideouts. During night hours, it entered farmlands and preyed on cattle. The Forest Department placed camera traps in the villages to monitor its movement. Last week, the leopard killed a goat owned by Gunasekaran of Doddagajanur. Since the animal had moved to a new spot, the officials placed camera traps in a farmland at Doddagajanur. After the leopard movement was recorded in the camera, the officials shifted the cage with bait to the farmland, said S. Sathish, Talavadi Range Officer.