Tamil Nadu forest department intensifies search for killer leopard

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has intensified its search for a leopard that killed a six-year-old girl in Valparai town of Coimbatore district as her horrified parents watched helplessly.

The child, Absara Khatun, was on Saturday near a stream along with her parents and several other children close to the Oosimalai Tea Estate when the leopard suddenly emerged from the nearby forest and dragged her away.

Upon hearing the parents’ cries for help, residents immediately alerted the police and forest department officials.

The personnel from the police and forest department quickly arrived and managed to drive the leopard away, but the child was already critically injured.

She was rushed to the Valparai Government Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Absara Khatun’s family, originally from Jharkhand, had been living in the estate quarters as labourers employed at the Oosamalai Tea Plantation.

Forest officials told IANS that trap cameras have been installed at six locations around the Oosimalai estate to monitor the movements of the leopard, which is believed to still be in the area.

A fortnight ago earlier, a cow was killed by a leopard near the Oosimalai estate, but despite a search at that time, the animal could not be located. As a precaution, the forest department has begun clearing the dense bushes around the estate, as leopards are known to seek shelter in such areas.

In January 2024, a leopard killed two people, including a three-year-old girl and a woman, and injured four others in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. This incident led to widespread public outcry, and after 15 days of intense monitoring with camera traps, the leopard was finally captured by forest personnel using tranquillizers. The animal was later transferred to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Following that attack, the forest department ramped up its efforts to capture the leopard after local traders called for a one-day bandh, and the public blocked roads for 11 hours. The protests affected transport services across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, as the Nilgiris district borders both neighbouring states.

K.R. Mariappan, a social activist from Valparai, expressed concern over the current situation. Speaking to IANS, he said, “The forest department must capture the leopard immediately, as anxiety among the people is growing. Hundreds of children from the Oosimalai Tea Estate roam the area freely, and if the leopard is not captured soon, the public may be forced to take drastic measures, including protests.”