Tea estate worker injured in leopard attack

COIMBATORE: A 52-year-old estate worker was injured in a leopard attack in Valparai on Tuesday.

Police said Chinnamurugan from ‘Nallakathu Estate’ was spraying pesticide in the tea plantation, when a leopard emerged from the bushes and pounced on him. Shocked over the unexpected attack, the labourer shouted out and other workers rushed to his rescue.

Soon, the animal retreated into the nearby forest area. In the accidental encounter with the leopard, Chinnamurugan suffered injuries to his chest, shoulder and legs. He was immediately rushed to Valparai Government Hospital.

On receiving information, A Manikandan, Forest Range Officer, Manambolly Range visited the injured labourer in the hospital and handed him an initial compensation of Rs 5,000 on behalf of the Forest Department. Meanwhile, the estate labourers urged the Forest Department to capture the animal.

In another wildlife related incident, a wild elephant along with its calf destroyed around 8,000 saplings in a nursery of the Horticulture Department in Gudalur on Monday night. Saplings of pepper, coffee and butter fruit were raised in the nursery at Ponnur near Nadugani to be given to farmers.

The officials of Horticulture Department along with the revenue department assessed the extent of damage caused by elephants in the farm. Villagers in Ponnur said that trenches should be dug and the already existing ones should be deepened to avert frequent elephant intrusions into their locality.