Leopard kills dog in a farm near Chennimalai in Erode

Panic gripped the residents after a leopard that strayed out of the forest killed a dog tied up in a farm near Chennimalai in Erode on Monday.

Sillankattuvalasu and Veppili, located in the southern forest region near Chennimalai, have witnessed repeated incidents of leopards entering farms at night and attacking goats, calves, and dogs. In response, the Forest Department placed a cage to capture the leopard. Last week, a leopard killed a dog tied up in front of a house in a plantation near Veppili.

In the latest incident, a 70-year-old farmer, Sellakkutti of Sillankattuvalasu, had tied his livestock and dog in the farm on Sunday night as usual before returning home. When he returned on Monday morning, he was shocked to find the half-eaten carcass of the dog. He alerted the Forest Department. Officials rushed to the scene, inspected the area, found pug marks, and confirmed leopard presence.

With attacks on livestock continuing, fear has gripped the local population, who are urging the authorities to take immediate steps to prevent further incidents.