Coimbatore, Sep 29 (IANS) Forest officials have installed four camera traps at Ramya Garden in Mavuthampathi panchayat after three goats were killed there. Residents suspect a leopard, but the Madukkarai Forest Range has yet to identify the animal responsible.
The goats’ owner, Velusamy, alerted forest personnel after finding two of them dead on Monday morning. The third goat was missing and is believed to have been carried away. The incident has caused concern among residents, who have asked officials to establish whether a leopard is moving through the area.
A forest department official said staff found pugmarks near the site, but the impressions were too unclear to identify the animal. The personnel also searched the adjoining forest area for remains of the missing goat.
The camera traps have been placed to record any movement and help confirm what killed the animals. “The owner believes a leopard carried away one of the goats. We cannot confirm that from the pugmarks available,” the official said.
The department expects to examine the camera footage and establish whether a leopard is present by Tuesday. A special team has been deployed to patrol the area and respond to any further sightings or attacks.
Forest personnel had conducted regular patrols there until about a month ago, officials said.
More recently, they had been assigned to operations aimed at driving wild elephants away from human settlements. The department has urged livestock owners to keep goats and cattle inside secure sheds, particularly at night.
Officials said this advice had been given repeatedly, but animals were still being left exposed to attacks. They asked residents to report any sightings promptly so staff could verify them and take appropriate action.
The official said Velusamy could seek compensation for the loss of his goats by submitting an application. The department would process the claim under the applicable procedure.
For now, officials are treating the identity of the predator as an open question. They said the missing goat and unclear pugmarks were insufficient to establish that a leopard was involved.
Camera footage, along with continued patrols, would guide the next steps.
Forest staff will continue monitoring the location while the camera traps remain in place. The department said further measures would depend on what the cameras record and on any fresh reports from the area.
–IANS
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