The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Panther trapped; freed in Anaikunthi Chola

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Friday, Dec 21, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Panther trapped; freed in Anaikunthi Chola

M. Gunasekaran

The panther is believed to have killed an 11-year-old girl

Caught: The four-year-old male panther caught in a cage put up by the forest department officials at Villoni estate, near Valparai in Coimbatore district, on Thursday.

POLLACHI: A four-year-old male panther was trapped in the early hours of Thursday at Villoni estate, 15 km from Valparai. Forest officials led by K.R. Varadharajan, wildlife warden of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, released the panther later at Anaikunthi Chola, around 50 km from where it was trapped, between Top Slip and Manombolli, after tranquilising the animal.

The forest officials had earlier placed a cage with a dog inside, near the labour quarters at the Villoni estate to lure and trap the animal.

The panther is believed to have killed an 11-year-old girl, Kausalya, daughter of an estate worker on December 12.

The dog was replaced later by beef to lure the panther owing to objections from some quarters. Wildlife veterinarian N.S. Manoharan, who tranquilised the animal, said it had not received any injury. Weighing around 50 kg, the panther measured a height of 58 cm and a length of 179 cm.

Though the trap cage put up by the forest authorities had been used to catch seven panthers and two tigers in the last decade, this was the first time a panther had fallen into the trap in which beef was used as a bait. ``

“We had doubt whether the beef would lure the animal. Normally we go in for a dog or a goat which usually make noise and attract the panther. But the smell of beef was enough to lure it,” said Mr. Varadharajan.

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