Mangaluru, Jan 15: A calf has been killed in an attack by a leopard at Kallakumeru Palke in Niddodi village in Mangaluru taluk in the early hours of Friday.
While initial media reports speculated it to be an attack by a tiger, G D Dinesh, Moodbidri range forest officer who discounted this theory, affirmed that that the calf had fallen victim to a leopard and that the department has received several complaints of leopards stalking cattle and dogs in the area.
The attack took place sometime between 1am and 2am, villagers said adding that the calf was tied out in the open adjacent to the cattle shed behind the house. A neighbor who was sitting outside his house smoking a beedi spotted the leopard headed towards the cattleshed in the moonlight.
He could not however muster enough courage to raise the alarm and remained closeted inside the house, noted Ravindra Shetty, an activist, who alerted the media to the incident.
There have been several such instances of cattle and dogs being attacked by big wild cats in the region and people are fearing to come out of their house in the night. Noting that it is common for these big cats to come to the river nearby to slake their thirst post March, Ravindra said these cats have ventured in to the area early this year. Lokesh Shetty, Moodbidri forest officer visited the sport and examined the scene where the calf was killed, Ravindra Shetty said.
While Ravindra claimed that a tiger had killed the calf, Dinesh asserted that there are no tigers in Moodbidri range. "I have not come across a single Tiger since I took over as RFO," he said.
Tigers are more common in Kudremukh area under Kudremukh National Forest. The forest department will provide compensation to the owner of the cattle once the veterinarian gives the cattle valuation report and the amount will be transferred through RTGS to the owner's account.
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