The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Panther attacks five near Tiruttani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Panther attacks five near Tiruttani

By P. Oppili

TIRUVALLUR, JAN. 3. Panic gripped people near Tiruttani after an adult panther strayed into the villages. The feline attacked five persons, including two police officials and a Range Officer, at Velancheri, about two km from Tiruttani, just off the Tiruvallur-Tirupati highway north west of Chennai.

After more than five hours of searching, forest and police officials decided to lay a trap near a sugarcane field where the panther was hiding.

M. Anandan, a resident of Velancheri, said that around 6.30 a.m. three villagers, S. Guna (22), K. Velayudham (36) and M. Murali (40), saw the animal on a paddy field. When they went near to it, the animal attacked them. It then crossed a village road and entered a clump of prosophis (Karuvel) bushes.

On information, Debasis Jana, District Forest Officer, Kancheepuram; K.S. Sathyamoorthy, Wildlife Range Officer, Chennai, and M.S. Ramadhas, Range Officer, Tambaram, came to the spot. K. Senthilkumar, Veterinarian, Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, accompanied them.

Mr. Jana said the team decided to drive the panther from the prosophis grove to a nearby open area, where large nets were spread. They wanted to tranquillise or trap the animal.

Hiding in field

Around 4 p.m. the local police inspector Murugan and sub-inspector Rajendran, accompanied by Ramadhas, Range Officer, went close to the bush where the animal hid. The panther leaped at the team. Mr. Murugan was able to deflect the beast with his cane shield. But, the panther struck Mr. Rajendran on the left ear and Mr. Ramadhas, who sustained bruises on the right elbow.

The animal then crossed the road and entered a sugarcane field. Forest officials said they could not chase or track its movement as it was a vast area.

It is suspected that the animal could have come out of the forests on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border following a battle for territory.

Forest officials said their plan to trap or tranquillise the animal failed as the large crowds frightened the animal, which fled the scene. Now villagers fear it might return.

V. Varadha Raju, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur, who came to the spot, asked the local panchayat leaders to cooperate with the forest and police officials.

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