Erode : A 36-year-old man was killed in a suspected leopard attack near the old TASMAC outlet at Hasanur in Thalavadi taluk late on Saturday night.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that he had been consuming alcohol near the old TASMAC premises when the incident took place.
“He had purchased food from a nearby hotel and was eating at the spot when the animal is said to have attacked him,” said a police officer from Hasanur station. Authorities should take immediate steps to prevent such tragedies,” said R Madesh, a resident of Hasanur. The deceased has been identified as V Periyasamy of Hasanur. Some locals alerted the police and the forest department. Police subsequently recovered the body and sent it for a postmortem. Forest officials also inspected the spot and further investigation is on. Meanwhile, the incident has triggered concern among residents of Hasanur and surrounding hamlets, who have been demanding intensified monitoring of wildlife movement in the area. “We have been noticing frequent movement of wild animals near human habitations during the night. K Mahalingam another local, urged the forest department to install additional camera traps and strengthen surveillance in vulnerable areas. Forest and police officials are investigating the circumstances leading to the death and are awaiting further evidence to confirm the leopard’s involvement.