Chennai, Apr 4 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu forest department will deploy a thermal imaging drone to track the location of a leopard near Mayiladuthurai town.

The leopard was first spotted by residents on Tuesday night and is still elusive.

Nagapattinam District Forest Officer, Abhishek Tomar told IANS that leopards normally emerge after dark hence the department plans to deploy a thermal imaging drone to track the movement of the elusive animal.

The thermal imaging drone will be brought from Dharmapuri, he said.

While seven schools in and around Mayiladuthurai town have been closed, police protection has been provided for four schools where Board exams for tenth standard students were taking place.

The forest department has already deployed ten field teams that have been mounting round-the-clock surveillance.

Special police teams have also been deployed in the area now.

A senior official of the Tamil Nadu forest department told IANS that they were puzzled as to how the carnivore made its way into Mayiladuthurai as there are no hills or reserve forests anywhere near the town.

Abhishek Tomar said that the field level teams carried out patrolling through Wednesday night and the department is making announcements to warn the public to remain vigilant.

Experts from the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Coimbatore with camera traps and cages are expected to join the forest department teams to try and capture the animal.