COIMBATORE: A leopard that entered a house while chasing a pet dog was trapped inside after the occupants quickly locked the door from outside in a dramatic incident near Masinagudi in the Nilgiris district on Wednesday night. Forest department personnel later captured the animal in a cage and released it safely in a forest area.
According to officials, N Sivakumar and his family were at home preparing to retire for the night when a leopard ventured into the residential area around 9.30 pm at Selvappa Colony near Masinagudi. Sivakumar has several pet dogs at his residence.
The leopard reportedly chased one of the dogs, which ran into his house in an attempt to escape. The predator too followed inside. Shocked by the sight of a leopard inside the house, Sivakumar and his family quickly moved to safety and locked the house from the outside, effectively trapping the animal inside.
Upon alert, a team led by Masinagudi Forest Range Officer V Rajan rushed to the spot. Officials initially considered opening the door and allowing the leopard to return to the forest area on its own.
However, residents opposed the move, expressing concerns over public safety. Following discussions, they decided to capture the animal using a cage. Residents were advised to remain indoors.
"The cage was placed outside the exit door with bait. After remaining inside the house for several hours, the leopard emerged at around 2.30 am and entered the cage. The trap door closed immediately, enabling us to safely secure the animal," an official said.
The leopard was subsequently released in the Sigur forest area. The pet dog that was attacked by the leopard was also rescued alive.