Udhagamandalam: The forest department on Thursday set up a cage on a private tea estate at Thuneri village, 10km away from Ooty, to capture a leopard that attacked two people, including a forest guard, on Wednesday.
The area is away from the reserve forest, an official of the department said. “The leopard must have strayed out from the forest. We suspect that it is accompanied by cubs. Once the animal is trapped, it would be left in a reserve forest area,” he said.
The big cat had on Wednesday attacked Velmurugan, 38, a labourer plucking tea leaves in the estate. “After hearing Velmurugan’s cries for help, other workers came to his rescue. But the animal had already left the spot. The injured man was taken to the primary health centre in Thuneri village. He was later shifted to the Ooty Government Headquarters Hospital,” assistant conservator of forests Saravanakumar told TOI.
Later in the evening, forest guard Thirumurthy, who was examining the pug marks at the spot, was attacked by the leopard. He sustained injuries on his head and hand and was rushed to the Ooty GH.
Nilgiris collector J.Innocent Divya visited Velmurugan at the primary health centre. She also appealed to local residents not to venture out in the evening.
