An eight-year-old boy studying in standard III, Jerin (8), son of Jayakumar, was mauled to death by a leopard near the Mudis estate on Friday evening.
The incident triggered a protest with residents of the area staging a road blockade demanding an immediate solution to the man-animal conflict. Frayed tempers and heated exchanges marked the efforts by the authorities to calm down the agitated public.
According to Forest Department sources, the boy's father, Jayakumar, was walking with his two sons. A leopard that reportedly emerged from tea bushes caught the boy by his neck and dragged him away. Jayakumar who tried to rescue the boy, suffered injuries. His other son escaped unhurt. On Thursday, a leopard was trapped in a cage set up at the Valparai taluk office.
