A team of experts from the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Coimbatore district has joined the Forest Department teams in tracking the carnivore, suspected to be a leopard, which continues to be on the prowl near Mayiladuthurai.
Unable to determine the exact location of the elusive animal since it was spotted in the late hours on April 2 at Semmankulam near Koranad in Mayiladuthurai town, the Forest Department has set up a string of camera traps at locations where the carnivore was suspected to be moving around.
The department has decided to deploy a thermal imaging drone either on Friday night or Saturday night in a bid to locate the elusive animal. The thermal imaging drone can track the movement of the animal even at night, said a senior Forest Department official.
The animal, which was suspected to be on prowl at Arokianathapuram near Mayiladuthurai town on Thursday, is believed to have moved to another place. A few fresh pug marks have been found based on which the operation to track the the animal is continuing, the official said.
A total of 16 camera traps have been set up, including at places where fresh pug marks were found. Field-level teams inspected Arokianathapuram, Sitharkadu, and Oorkudi areas before placing the camera traps. A couple of forest veterinarians were present in Mayiladuthurai to help the field-level teams which has deployed a couple of cages at suspected locations.
In addition to experts from the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, the services of tiger/leopard trackers from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve located in the Nilgiri district have been sought. A couple of tiger trackers were expected to reach Mayiladuthurai on Saturday. The assistance of tiger trackers was to be utilised since they have a field-level knowledge on the movement of such carnivores, its movements, and its possible place of hiding.
Going by the images generated from the surveillance cameras, Forest Department officials believe that the adult animal could be seven to eight years old. “Leopard is a shy and elusive animal which takes refuge even inside a small bush without giving any room for suspicion of its place of hiding”, said the official and added that it would change the location if there was disturbance. Mayiladuthurai and its surroundings were definitely not the area of leopard movement, said the official.
The Forest Department has been continuously advising people not to sleep outside their homes situated in and around the suspected locations. Official sources said 13 teams had been constituted to capture the animal. The Mayiladuthurai district administration has appealed to the general public to extend their cooperation to the efforts being taken by the Forest Department in capturing the animal.
