Killer leopard trapped in Valparai, to be shifted to Vandalur Zoo

The male leopard aged about seven became a nightmare after it went on an attacking spree in the hill region.

At least three persons — two women and a 10-year-old girl — came under attack from the prowling leopard over the last three weeks. The animal attacked Sathyan, 10, on May 25, Gandhimathi, 45, on June 1 and Madhavi, 35. All were labourers hailing from the Cinhona tea estate neighbourhood. They all suffered severe injuries and were hospitalised following the attack.

The leopard also preyed on cattle reared by villagers a couple of times. The Forest Department believed that the same animal was involved in all the attacks and sought to trap it. Nevertheless, it ended up killing fifty-two-year-old Kailasavathi while she was washing clothes near her house at Kanjamalai tea estate, South Division on Friday night. The leopard caught the woman by her neck and dragged her for about 200 metres, before fleeing after being scared by chasing villagers. Following the death of the woman, the Cinhona estate workers resorted to a string of protests forcing the Forest Department to set up cages to trap the leopard.

The evasive leopard was caught in one of the four cages placed at the tea estate in the early morning hours. A team of Forest Department staff led by Pollachi DFO Marimuthu visited the spot and examined the animal.

A large number of estate workers turned up to see the animal and heaved a sigh of relief. They were spending sleepless nights after the animal went on an attacking spree.

The Forest Department officials said the cage will be taken in a lorry to Vandalur Zoo, where the animal will be kept in a closed enclosure.

The incident came after a leopard mauled to death four-year-old Saidul Islam, a native of Assam, while he was playing near his house at the Nadumalai Estate on February 8.

A week later, the animal was trapped and released into the reserve forest at Mandirimattam area. Though the Forest Department fixed cameras to monitor the movement of the animal, it wasn’t sighted anywhere.