Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh each for the two families in Elamanna village in the Nilgiris district.
Published Jan 08, 2024 | 11:45 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 08, 2024 | 11:45 AM
The leopard had allegedly been on the prowl for the past 15 days. (Creative Commons)
A leopard that mauled a woman and a child to death was tranquilised and captured on Sunday, 7 January, by the Forest Department who plan to relocate it inside the dense forest, officials said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin conveyed his condolences to the families of a 29-year old woman and a three-year-old child who died in separate leopard attacks on 29 December 2023 and 6 January, respectively. The leopard had allegedly been on the loose for 15 days.
Stalin announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh each for the two families in Elamanna village in the Nilgiris district. The child belonged to a family of migrant workers from Jharkhand.
As soon as the elusive leopard was spotted at Elamanna village, Forest Department officials used tranquiliser darts to immobilise the animal and took it away in a cage.
The four-year old male leopard lost consciousness only after the second shot. Following the first time it was hit by a tranquiliser dart, it escaped and went into hiding. Using camera-fitted drones, the forest officials located the animal and used a second dart to immobilise and capture it.
After considering all relevant factors, the captured leopard will be released into a dense forest area suitable for it in the Nilgiris district, officials said.
Following the death of the child, the traders’ association in Gudalur in Nilgiris district staged a protest and called for a one-day bandh, demanding that the Forest Department catch the big cat.
(With PTI inputs)
