A cage placed to trap the leopard at Periyakallipatti in Bhavanisagar block in Erode district in Tamil Nadu.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The Forest Department has stepped up efforts to capture a leopard that has been preying on livestock near Periyakallipatti in Bhavanisagar Block by installing two more cages and intensifying surveillance.Officials said two leopards, believed to have strayed from the Vilamundi Forest Range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), were first sighted on Marayeepalayam hillock near Punjai Puliyampatti about a year ago. They later began frequenting a hillock near Periyakallipatti and entered adjoining farmlands, killing goats, dogs, and other livestock.One of the leopards was trapped in a cage a few months ago. However, the other continued to evade capture and had repeatedly attacked livestock, disrupting farming activities and causing concern among residents. Several farmers said repeated attacks on goats and calves had resulted in financial losses and affected their daily agricultural activities. Villagers had, hence, urged the Department to trap the animal and relocate it deeper inside the forest.The Department had installed three cages in the area and has now placed two more at locations where the leopard was recently sighted. Goats were tethered inside the cages as bait.Forest personnel were conducting round-the-clock surveillance using camera traps and drones. Thermal imaging drones were deployed during night operations to track the leopard’s movement. A team headed by S. Sathasivam, wildlife veterinarian of the STR, was on standby to tranquillise the animal if necessary, officials said.Residents said they were avoiding isolated farmlands after dusk and hoped the operation would be completed at the earliest, as repeated livestock kills continued to affect their livelihoods.On June 29, the leopard killed a calf at Periyakallipatti, prompting farmers and villagers to stage a road blockade. Forest Department officials assured them that the animal would be captured at the earliest. Published - July 09, 2026 06:52 pm IST
