Camera surveillance to track carnivore near Hasanur

Forest Department personnel have intensified surveillance using automatic camera traps and drones to identify the carnivore suspected of attacking and killing a daily-wage worker near Hasanur in Erode district on the night of October 3, 2026. The animal is believed to be a leopard.

The partially eaten body of V. Periyasamy, a resident of Bungalow Thotti, was found along a stream near the forest fringes under the Hasanur Range of the Hasanur Forest Division of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) on October 4.

Residents suspect that a leopard was responsible, citing a series of cattle kills in villages in the area. However, the Forest Department is yet to confirm the species. Following the incident, residents staged a protest demanding immediate action to capture the animal.

For the second consecutive day on Tuesday (October 7, 2026), forest personnel were divided into three teams and deployed at various locations for intensive surveillance. Night patrols are being conducted in Hasanur, Ongalwadi and Arepalayam Pirivu on Kollegal Main Road, and along the Dindigul–Mysuru National Highway (NH 948). Drone surveillance is also being carried out. The department is creating awareness among residents and has advised them not to venture out at night.

Yogesh Kumar Garg, Deputy Director of the STR and District Forest Officer, Hasanur Forest Division, said automatic camera traps had been installed at 10 locations to monitor the carnivore’s movements. The footage would help identify the animal and determine the areas it frequents, he said.

Based on the recordings, the department has sought permission from higher authorities to identify a location frequently visited by the animal and install a cage trap there. Mr. Garg said surveillance would continue to track the animal’s movements.