COIMBATORE: A 62-year-old man was killed in a suspected leopard attack in Mettupalayam on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Velliangiri, a daily wage labourer from Three Kuttai village in the Karamadai region, was walking home when the incident happened.
According to preliminary information, a leopard is believed to have emerged from the nearby forest area and dragged him into the woods. When he failed to return home, his family members began looking for him. After an extensive search, they discovered his partially consumed body in the forest area adjoining their settlement.
Villagers immediately alerted the Karamadai police and the Periyanaickenpalayam forest department. Police and forest officers conducted an initial inspection and said the attack indicated the involvement of a leopard.
The incident has triggered panic among residents in the area, many of whom regularly traverse forest-edge routes to reach their work places.
Mettupalayam MLA N Sunil Anand visited the location and talked to villagers. He urged forest officers to strengthen surveillance in the region and also called for urgent measures to capture the animal.
Forest department personnel have intensified monitoring and patrolling in the area and have assured that necessary steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents and restore confidence among residents in the hill villages.