Leopard captured following repeated sightings at Marayeepalayam hillock in Erode

A male leopard was captured and relocated on Saturday (February 7, 2026) after repeated movement at the Marayeepalayam hillock near Punjai Puliyampatti in the Vilamundi Range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve raised public safety concerns, forest officials said.

The Forest Department began intensified monitoring after receiving reports in November 2025 of frequent leopard movement near the Marayeepalayam hillock, located outside the reserve’s forest limits. Drone surveillance and field inspections later confirmed the presence of two leopards in the area.

Officials said the area was kept under continuous surveillance for over three months, with preventive measures including drone and thermal camera monitoring, installation of cage traps, round-the-clock deployment of frontline staff, and regular patrolling in nearby villages.

One male leopard, aged between eight and ten years, was captured in a cage trap in the early hours of Saturday under the supervision of forest officials and a veterinary officer. The animal was examined, subsequently relocated and released into a dense forest area as per prescribed wildlife protocols.

Surveillance has been intensified to monitor the movement of the second leopard, officials said.