Udhagamandalam: A day after a dog was killed by a black leopard in Emagundu Colony near Alakkarai village in Kattabettu range of forest, a team comprising of forest field staff was formed on Wednesday to monitor the animal.
CCTV footage showed the dog attacked by the black leopard in the early hours of Tuesday. The big cat was hiding in the bushes in a private estate located close to the colony.
Several leopards were spotted in the colony in the last six months, said Shivakumar, a resident. “Six goats were killed by leopards. A month ago, CCTV caught two leopards, including a black one, in the area. The forest department is not taking proper action to capture the animals and leave them inside deep forest,” he said.
Alakkarai is surrounded by reserve forest falling under the Kattabettu range and private tea estates.
A team has been formed to monitor the movement of wild animals in Alakkarai, said forest range officer Sasikumar. “Residents should be careful as they are staying close to reserve forest. Wild animals are attracted to the overgrown plants in a private tea estate. We have instructed the estate management to remove the bushes,” he said.