Coimbatore: The Sirumugai forest rangers finally heaved a sigh of relief on Monday after trapping a leopard that often gave them the slip. The animal had intruded into human habitat at the Sennamalai - Karadu buffer area in Sirumugai forest range in the month of July, and has been on the rangers' radar following a series of attacks on calves, goats and dogs.
Sources said that in the first week of July, officials of the Sirumugai forest department installed a cage near Mothepalayam to trap the carnivore. The mission was a success and the animal was trapped, but before it could be translocated, due to the weak floor of the cage, the aggressive animal escaped by digging a hollow in the ground.
On July 23, a few villagers of Mothaipalayam sighted the leopard during the night hours near Kalanoor, and informed the forest department, but before they could install a trap, the leopard had killed three pet dogs near Sennamalai - Karadu.
Following this, Sirumugai rangers finally installed a cage on July 30 at Sennamalai - Karadu, keeping a dog as bait. The cage was partitioned into two chambers in such a way the bait was out of harm’s way.
After a long wait and watch game for 27 days, the leopard finally walked into the cage during the early hours of Monday. Later, by evening the same day, it was released deep inside the forests of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).
