Leopard sighting sparks panic in Chalakudy; Forest official says no new evidence

Chalakudy (Thrissur, Kerala): Fear has gripped Chalakudy after multiple claims of leopard sightings. The claims spiralled after forest officials confirmed the leopard’s presence upon verifying visuals of the animal roaming near the town region and pugmarks.

In Annanad, near Chalakudy, a resident claimed that a leopard attempted to attack her pet dog. Nandini, the pet owner, said she was alerted by unusual barking and saw the leopard biting and grabbing the dog outside her house.

“It was my dog’s unusual barking that caught my attention. When I looked outside, I saw the leopard biting and grabbing the dog,” she said. The animal attempted to drag the dog away but failed as it was chained, she added. 

Hearing Nandini’s alarm, her son and local residents made loud noises and turned on lights, forcing the leopard to flee. The dog sustained injuries to its neck and face. Following the alleged incident, forest officials and local residents conducted a search in the area but found no evidence.

More claims
Some residents also reported leopard sightings near SH College and CMI School, leading to another search operation. However, despite the presence of damp soil in nutmeg plantations where the leopard was allegedly seen, forest officials did not find any pugmarks.

On Friday night, forest officials searched along the Chalakudy riverbanks using thermal cameras from a boat, suspecting the leopard’s movement in the area. A trap cage was set up near Kannampuzha Temple, where intensified searches were carried out, but no trace of the animal was found. CCTV surveillance has been placed around the enclosure. A goat, used as live bait in the enclosure, was fed and later returned to confinement.

“No new evidence confirming the tiger’s presence has been found,” said Chalakudy Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) M. Venkateshwaran.