A jungle cat was caught on a surveillance camera at Kannampalayam near Coimbatore where the Forest Department has been searching for a stranded leopard.
District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj said that the animal that was caught on a camera in the locality early on Thursday was a jungle cat and not a leopard as it was being circulated on local WhatsApp groups and social media.
“The animal seen in the video is a cat smaller than a leopard. Its tail is short and there are no rosettes on its body as on leopards,” he said.
The Department has been monitoring places around Kannampalayam along the banks of river Noyyal after a leopard was caught on the surveillance camera of an industrial unit on November 12.
Mr. Jayaraj said that the Department was mooting to use a drone fitted with a thermal camera for night surveillance in the area and along the course of Noyyal, which has bushes on the sides. Since the place is located near Air Force Station, Sulur, the Department has sent a request to the air base administration seeking permission for the use of a drone fitted with thermal camera for night surveillance, he said.
Published – November 27, 2025 09:17 pm IST
