Coimbatore: Fear gripped residents of Valparai as a leopard found its way into the vicinity of a panchayat union elementary school in Nallakathu estate on Wednesday. A group of students noticed the leopard near their school toilet during lunch break. As they screamed and ran helter-skelter after sighting the spotted big cat, a wave of panic swept across Nallakathu estate.
“The students had gone to wash their hands after lunch when they noticed the leopard trying to break through the fencing. As the students raised a hue and cry, the leopard retreated behind forest cover,” said a forest department staff member. School headmaster R. Ranjit Kumar said the students had seen the leopard near the school two days ago also. “It is very risky for students as the leopard comes quite frequently to this place.
The leopard should be trapped and relocated elsewhere,” he said. A team of forest department personnel who inspected the spot confirmed the visit of the leopard from its pug marks.“The leopard might have been lured by the egg shells which were dumped near the school premises. We have also cleared those shells and sprayed some disinfectants at the place,” said an official. The forest department has appealed to the school to throw egg shells and other garbage in a faraway place and not near the school premises.
