Forest officials inspecting the area in Old Munnar where the leopard was spotted.
Munnar: The residential areas of Old Munnar are once again gripped by fear as leopard sightings have been reported near human settlements. An inspection by the Forest Department and the Rapid Response Team (RRT) confirmed the presence of a leopard through the discovery of pugmarks in the area.
The animal was reportedly spotted by passersby on Thursday night and again on Friday morning near the KDH Club locality, an area where many tourists are also accommodated. Children playing outside their homes also claimed to have seen the leopard. It is suspected that the animal may have been drawn to the area in search of pet dogs, which are commonly kept by residents here.
Acting on alerts from locals, a 25-member forest team carried out a detailed inspection and confirmed the presence of pugmarks. Forest Range Officer S. Biju stated that a report on the incident will be submitted, along with a recommendation to install surveillance cameras in the area. A leopard had strayed into the same locality on May 3.
Tiger attack in Kadalar Estate
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a tiger mauled and killed a cow belonging to Ganesh Kumar of East Division in Kadalar Estate. The cow, which had been left to graze freely, did not return. A search team later found its half-eaten carcass in a nearby tea plantation. Forest officials visited the site and began an investigation. The presence of tigers in the Kadalar region has been reported consistently for over a year now, with 10 cows reportedly killed in attacks last year alone.
Leopard sighted in Puthuval; cameras installed
In another development, residents of Puthuval in Choolappurattu, Pattumala, confirmed spotting a leopard in the area. Following this, the Forest Department installed surveillance cameras to monitor movements. Pugmarks were discovered near a shed on the premises of a house owned by a local resident named Helen. The previous day, a pet dog raised by another resident had been killed by the leopard.
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