Frequent leopard sightings at Marayeepalayam hillock trigger panic among residents

Frequent sightings of leopards at the Marayeepalayam hillock near Punjai Puliyampatti in Sathyamangalam taluk have caused panic among local residents, who have urged the Forest Department to take concrete steps to capture and relocate the animals.

In the first week of December 2025, locals first spotted a leopard in the hillock, which spreads across 144 hectares. A week later, two leopards were sighted in the same area. Following this, staff from the Vilamundi Forest Range Office under the Sathyamangalam Division of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) placed three cages with bait, installed five camera traps, and conducted drone surveillance. Forest personnel also carried out combing operations in the rocky hillock, which has a large number of boulders. However, the animals could not be traced.

Since then, repeated leopard sightings have continued to trigger panic among residents. On Tuesday (January 20, 2026), a leopard was seen climbing down from a boulder, further causing unrest in the area. A Forest Department official said the leopards continue to use the boulders as their hideout and feed on wild boars that are present in large numbers in the hillock. The official added that the bait placed in the cages remained untouched and that, despite sustained efforts, the leopards could not be tracked.

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