A panther on the prowl at the foothills of Western Ghats near Kadayam has hunted down two dogs in a farm, triggering fear among the farmers and villagers.
Murugaiah of Govindaperi went to his farm on Friday night along with his four dogs to chase the invading wild boars into the farm that damaged the standing ‘sirukizhangu’ (Chinese potato) crop. Mr. Murugaiah returned home after tying the dogs in the farm.
When his son M. Kannan went to the farm on Saturday morning, he found that two of his dogs had been hunted down while the other two were found missing. As the forest personnel visited the spot, the pug marks, hair and the scat they found on the spot proved that the dogs had been preyed upon by the panther.
“The predator that is prowling in the rocky terrains has killed the dogs and other cattle in the nearby villages and farms in the past 10 days. The Forests Department officials should take immediate steps to capture the animal,” Mr. Kannan said.
