Two more trap cages set up near Sirumugai to catch leopard

The forest department has installed two more trap cages at the foothills of Othimalai near Sirumugai to capture a leopard that has been causing fear among farmers and residents for the past three months. The department had placed one cage at the site three months ago, but after requests from farmers in surrounding villages, two more cages were installed on Wednesday. The cages, placed less than a kilometre apart, are baited with live goats and designed to shut automatically once the animal enters. According to D Dinesh, forest range officer of Sirumugai, the leopard is suspected to have strayed from the Pethikuttai Reserve Forest and may have been staying around Othimalai hillock, where it has frequently preyed on dogs.