Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Mar 11: A leopard had recently fallen into the well of an agriculturist in Kadtala-Moorsal, while chasing a dog. Following on the line of such past happenings, in an incident that occurred late night on Wednesday March 9, a leopard attacked the farm belonging to former zilla panchayat vice-president, Dr Santosh Kumar Shetty in Ajekar Bondukumeri Mudelkadi, and killed two cows tethered there.

The cows had been tied to a tree in the farm, as the cattle shed is under repairs. Forester, Madhusadan, forest watcher, Ashok, and Mallappa, visited the spot. The value of cows, which lost their lives, has been put at Rs 6,000. The incident has sent shivers down the spine of villagers. In the last some days, four leopards were sighted in the region, three of which were caught and released in Kudremukh National Park. “As this leopard has left behind its two cubs here, it may come again and attack even the people. As such, it should be caught urgently,” demanded Dr Santosh Kumar Shetty.

Two leopard cubs were found abandoned in Shetty’s farm. Out of them, one was killed by monkeys which attacked it. The labourers working in the farm, noticing the din created by monkeys, went there and found the cubs. The forest officials want to keep the cub that is alive at the spot where it was found, and place a trap there, so that the leopard can be caught when it comes back searching for its cubs.

Forest conservator, Sridhar, said that animals sometimes roam out of forests, hunting for food. Once they taste some food, they may return in the same route to search for more food. The only solution will be to build protective fencing along the forest border where movement of leopards is noticed, he feels.