Mysuru: The Forest officials find no clue about the leopard which killed two humans in less than a month in T. Narasipura Taluk of the District. The Department launched a combing operation to kill the big cat by ordering shoot at sight soon after the leopard claimed a second life.
Despite the combing operation entering the third day and drone cameras are used along with a team of Forest Department experts, the leopard could not be found.
In the last one month, a student of S. Kebbehundi Village of T. Narasipua Taluk was attacked by a leopard in a sugarcane field when she went to wash dishes in the backyard of the house on Thursday December 1. She was seriously injured and immediately admitted to the hospital. However, the student succumbed to injuries. Also last month, a leopard attacked a young man named Manjunath near Mallappana Hill in Hundiya Village in T. Narasipura Taluk and killed him on the spot.
Forest Officials formed 10 teams of 120 people and they have to capture or shoot dead the leopard that have killed two. Cages have been placed in 16 places and 20 drone cameras have been used.
CCF Dr. Malathi Priya has informed that a trap camera has been installed in Mallikarjuna Hill Forest, Odgallu Ranganathaswamy Hill Forest area, in which the leopard has been captured. Experts team from Bandipura and Nagarahole have arrived for the operation. An operation is being conducted to detect leopards in sugarcane fields and hill areas of around 43 villages including S. Kebbehundi. The surrounding villagers are not coming out of their houses in the evening due to the fear of the leopard. Also, false rumours have scared people too.
In the meantime, the sugarcane fields are hampering the leopard trapping operations and the forest officials have requested the farmers to harvest the sugarcane that is ready to harvest.
