Tumakuru: The forest department has started combing operations to capture the man-eater Leopard that claimed four lives over the last three months in Tumakuru area.
It may be recalled that a five-year-old boy was mauled to death by the man-eater in Mannakuppe village two-days-ago. This was the fourth death in the region.
The death of the boy led to protests against the forest department, which remained passive even when four lives were claimed by the big cat.
The protesters set a deadline of 15 days to catch the leopard that had unleashed havoc in the region.
Plunging into action now, the forest department started combing in and around areas like Manikuppe, Chikkamalavadi and Kunigal. It is said that the department has set 40 traps and day and night operations are on to capture the Leopard. Cameras too have been installed to keep track of the movement of the leopard.
Sources say that four leopards have been spotted in Manikuppe village area. Two teams have been formed by the department.
Panic gripped the villagers on Saturday night when the man-eater again made an appearance in Mannakuppe, exactly at the same spot where the little boy was hunted down. The villagers then lit up batons and reportedly scared the man-eaters. After this, the forest department officials have camped in the village and have placed 15 traps around the village.
