Tamil Nadu: Forest department captures leopard that killed two people, injured 4 in Pandalur

NILGIRIS (Tamil Nadu): The leopard who allegedly killed two people and injured four in the past 15 days in Nilgiri district’s Pandalur area has been captured, forest officials said.

According to the officials of the forest department, the leopard that was tranquillised and captured at the Pandalur is being transported to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Forest.

Notably, two people were killed and four were injured in the past 15 days in Pandalur in Nilgiri district in a leopard attack and irate people on Saturday night blocked a road at Pandalur for 11 hours, demanding to catch the big cat.

Yesterday evening, the leopard also killed the three-year-old baby daughter of a migrant tea garden worker from Jharkhand. Earlier on December 21, a tribal woman named Saritha died after a leopard attacked her. She was a resident of Pandalur in the Nilgiris district.

The severity of the situation has led to heightened anxiety in the Pandalur area.

Residents said that they would send their children to schools and colleges only if the forest department shot or caught the leopard that attacked and killed local villagers.

#WATCH | Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu: The leopard who has been on the loose for the last 15 days has been tranquilized and captured by the forest team at Pandalur. https://t.co/16JE3ipqnG pic.twitter.com/rIBqI4XFpn

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2024

The traders’ association and the villagers also organised a protest and declared a one-day bandh. The protest spilt over to the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. As a consequence, traffic came to a standstill at the borders of Kerala and Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka Transport services were affected after the public blocked the road on the Gudalur National Highway on Saturday night. Similarly, the road from Bandalur to Kallati in Kerala was affected for more than 11 hours as the migrant workers also staged a road blockade at more than five places.

Gudalur Legislative Assembly Member Pon Jayaseelan along with the local villagers participated in the road blockade. However, after 11 hours, the police removed the agitators.

Meanwhile, the traffic movement started on the Gudalur-Kerala Kallati road. (ANI)