Tumakuru: Foresters in this district of Tumakuru are combing for four leopards which have been menacing villages in the region. One of them is suspected of being a maneater that killed a three-year-old child earlier this week.
They have set up 25 cages and are conducting combing operations on two elephants. If any of the four leopards are sighted, it will be tranquilised and captured.
Four persons have been killed by a leopard in this district in the last six months. Foresters have identified four different leopards that have been wandering in this area.
Yesterday, the combers scoured the wilds around Bychanahalli, Bannikuppe, Doddamalalawadi and Chikkamalalawadi villages but found no fresh pug marks of a leopard. There have been no sightings by villagers, nor have any images been captured by the camera traps either.
The combing operation began with a puja at the local temple. Having received the blessings of gods, the foresters clambered atop the two elephants named Ganesha and Krishna. It was a desultory day, and the rangers called it a day at 5 pm, well before sunset.
