Leopard rescued from well in Erode district had killed goats, dogs in the area, say Forest Department officials

Rescued leopard in Sathyamangalam identified as responsible for killing goats and dogs in forest fringe area. Forest Dept. used crane to trap leopard in 50-ft dry farm well. Successfully rescued and released in Moolapatti, Bhavanisagar Forest Range. Well located along Sathyamangalam-Mysuru National Highway, animals cross highway and enter human habitations.

A five-year-old male leopard that was trapped in a farm well in Sathyamangalam, and rescued by the Forest Department on Friday, July 21, 2023, was responsible for the killing of goats and dogs in the fringe areas of the forest, officials said. 

Mr. Venkatesh Prabhu said that the patterns on the rescued leopard were compared with the photographs problematic leopards caught on camera traps in this particular area, and through the rosette pattern, the animal was identified that the same leopard that had been involved in goat and dog killings.  

The leopard fell into a 50-ft dry farm well on a plot of patta land located near the Guthiyalathur reserve forest in Pudukuyanur Pirivu in Sathyamangalam on the night of Thursday, July 20, 2023. Local residents heard it growling on Friday morning and alerted the Sathyamangalam range forest officials. A cage with a bait was placed inside the well, with the help of a crane, and the leopard was trapped. 

A team led by N. Venkatesh Prabhu, District Forest Officer, Erode Division, who also holds additional charge of Sathyamangalam Division, comprising K.R. Palanisamy, Ranger, forest department staff, veterinary doctors and fire service department personnel, successfully rescued the animal and released it in Moolapatti in the Bhavanisagar Forest Range at 8.30 p.m. on Friday. 

Officials said the well, surrounded by bushes, is located along the Sathyamangalam – Mysuru National Highway and animals cross the highway and enter human habitations frequently.