4 months ago
2
Residents, including women and farmers, blocked the Polur-Chengam Main Road astatine Mel Vanniyur colony adjacent Arani municipality successful Tiruvannamalai, demanding that the territory medication instrumentality steps to trap the stray leopard that has been venturing into quality habitations for the past fewer weeks.
Residents said that farming villages specified arsenic Kidampalayam, Kettavarampalayam, Mel Vanniyur, and Vathiyar Kottai are located connected the fringes of forests that autumn nether the Kalasapakkam wood scope successful Tiruvannamalai wood division. “We are surviving successful fearfulness aft repeated attacks by a leopard connected cattle successful these villages since the archetypal week of January. We are frightened to spell extracurricular our houses aft sunset,” said S. Pankajam, a resident.
Forest officials said a two-year-old antheral leopard had been captured connected the CCTV cameras fixed successful Reserve Forests (RFs) astatine Molakad, Katana Giri, and Malayalam villages. These wood areas travel nether the Kalasapakkam and Santhanvasal wood ranges, covering astir 15,000 hectares each. “The camera trap captured the representation of the young leopard connected December 31 erstwhile the carnal attacked 3 calves successful a colony adjacent a forest. Awareness is being created among residents to enactment indoors aft sunset,” said S. Murugan, wood scope officer, Kalasapakkam.
The leopard had killed astatine slightest 7 caput of cattle successful farming villages on RFs astatine the foothills of Jawadhu Hills since December 31. After investigation, the Forest Department had fixed a compensation of ₹20,000 to each affected family, based connected the orders of K. Sudhakar, District Forest Officer (DFO), Tiruvannmalai.
However, residents and wood officials said that the menace of the leopard to quality lives remained, and farmers were reluctant toventure into farmlands adjacent forests, fearing an attack.
Forest officials said the leopard travels astir 20 km nether wood screen each time connected an average. The migration of the carnal is chiefly connected the Gingee (Kallakuruchi)-Chengam-Polur route. Most attacks person occurred successful villages located astir 10 km from the forests.
“Being young, the stray leopard is frightened of quality presence. The carnal was past seen successful these areas much than a twelvemonth ago. We are tracking its movements,” Mr. Murugan added.
As per norms, wood officials person informed Collector K. Tharpagaraj and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Forest Department that they request to trap the carnal to forestall immoderate untoward incidents.
Forest officials are besides keeping way of the question of the leopard.
As postulation was affected connected the route, the Kalapakkam constabulary and wood officials assured the residents that efforts would beryllium made to acceptable up cages to trap the animal. Based connected the assurance by wood officials, the residents dispersed peacefully.
