Forest department deploys team to track leopard

Eluru forest range officer PS Parakasa Rao says cages are placed in the rumoured routes to trap the animal
Dwaraka Tirumala: At last the forest department officials responded to the movements of leopard in Tirumalampalem area of Dwaraka Tirumala mandal and deployed two teams of 20 members to Dwaraka Tirumala on Monday to track leopard in Tirumalampalem, Rajupalem, Jajulakunta and other areas.

The teams headed by PS Prakasa Rao, forest range officer - Eluru, searched the forest areas of the villages, where the leopard was rumoured to have been spotted. They have found the footprints of the leopard near Tirumalampalem and other areas. They arranged cages in the route the leopard might wander.

Over the few months, people of Tirumalampalem and other village areas are in a fear of attacks of wild animals. A suspected leopard has attacked a buffalo on Monday at Tirumalapalem. Devarakonda Dharmayya of Tirumalampalem has tied up six buffaloes in his cattle shed.

In the midnight of Saturday, the inmates listened to the cries of the cattle. Immediately the neighbours and Dharmayya went to the cattle shed. A woman said that she saw the leopard attacking the buffalo.
On the complaints and fears of the villagers, the Gopalapuram MLA Muppidi Venkateswara Rao has directed the forest officials to catch the leopard as it was creating panic among the villagers.

The forest range officer PS Prakasha Rao said that the special teams have been deployed to trace out the wild animal. “Whether it is the leopard or not yet to ascertain and footprints have been captured and will verify those foot prints. He said that people do not panic as cages have also been arranged in the suspected route of the leopard or the wild animal,” he added.