Dharmapuri: A leopard entered a farm in Palacode, Dharmapuri district, in the early hours of Tuesday, opened a chicken coop and carried away a rooster. A CCTV camera footage of the incident has since alarmed the family and villagers alike.Forest officials said the incident took place at the farm in a banana grove belonging to a farmer identified as R Vinayagam. Meanwhile, locals said the leopard had repeatedly been attacking dogs and poultry at the same house several times in recent years.Wild animals from the Thally, Denkanikottai, Panchapalli and Marandahalli forest ranges frequently enter nearby villages in search of food, they said. “We cannot sleep peacefully at night. The leopard keeps coming back to our area,” Vinayagam said.His neighbour K Selvi said, “If this continues, our children will not be safe. Authorities must trap the leopard and release it deep inside the forest.”Villagers have urged the forest department to monitor the leopard’s movements and capture it to prevent further attacks.(Photos: AM Shudhagar)
