Panic has gripped villagers in the Hasanur area of Thalavadi block as a leopard has been repeatedly preying on livestock over the past few days. Residents have urged the Forest Department to immediately capture the animal by placing a cage.
The incidents were reported from Ongalwadi village, which falls under the Hasanur forest range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, where leopards and elephants are known to frequent forest fringes. According to villagers, a leopard entered Ongalwadi late on Sunday night and attacked a calf that had been tied in a cowshed behind the house of a farmer, Mallesh.
Alerted by the continuous barking of his dog, Mallesh rushed to the spot and, using a torchlight, saw the leopard mauling the calf. The animal fled on noticing the light. Neighbours later found the calf struggling for life and informed the Hasanur Forest Range office.
Farmers said the leopard has been moving around Ongalwadi for the past four days. Adding to the fear, the leopard reportedly killed another calf in the same village on Monday morning.
With repeated attacks on livestock and its continued presence near human habitations, villagers have demanded urgent intervention by the Forest Department to ensure public safety by capturing the leopard at the earliest.
Published – December 15, 2025 05:45 pm IST
