The Forest Department has placed a cage at a tea estate in Vazhaithottam near Valparai to trap a leopard which has been frequently entering the village at night.
The Department had received several complaints from residents of Vazhaithottam, mostly estate workers, about the movement of a leopard in the village at night.
Based on directions from S. Arockiaraj Xavier, Deputy Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and District Forest Officer of Pollachi Forest Division, 12 camera traps were placed at various places in the village a few days ago to monitor the leopard’s movement as per the protocols of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The presence of the leopard was established from visuals of the camera traps and a cage was placed at one of the locations where the big cat had frequented on Monday evening.
Valparai forest range officer K. Jayachandran said the villagers had not complained of any attack by the leopard on people and livestock at Vazhaithottam recently.
The Forest Department suspects that the leopard could have been attracted by meat or chicken waste that are being discarded in the area.
