Weeks after two individuals had been killed in leopard assaults in Mysuru district of Karnataka and a combing operation was launched to hint the animal, the state forest division is now utilizing thermal drone cameras within the search mission, officers within the know of the event stated on Friday.
The search operation technique was modified because the leopard continues to stay elusive, stated one of many officers quoted above.
State further principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) G Kumar Pushkar introduced the cameras and the technicians to Mysuru on Wednesday. Thermal cameras are principally used solely by the defence and police personnel in border areas to detect human motion, stated the official.
“ We’re altering our technique to hint the animal by utilizing technically superior cameras. The thermal cameras are getting used for the primary time within the state to hint the wild animal,” Mysuru chief conservator of forest Dr Malathi Priya stated.
Priya stated: “The vary of regular cameras is 1km, whereas thermal cameras have a variety of 5km which is beneficial for the combing operation”.
The standing sugarcane crop can be affecting the operation, however the thermal cameras will play an important position in detecting the leopard, she stated. Priya additionally expressed confidence that the elusive leopard “will probably be caught within the subsequent 24 to 48 hours”.
“We now have additionally introduced feminine leopard urine, from the Mysuru zoo, for the operation. We’ll sprinkle urine close to the cage to draw the male leopard which claimed two lives in T Narasipura,” she stated.
Greater than 130 forest officers and employees, divided into 10 groups, are taking part within the operation, stated the official.
“We now have arrange 15 cages in a number of areas and are utilizing 20 lure cameras. On Saturday evening and on Monday, the male leopard was captured within the digital camera. We now have additionally elevated combing actions close to Mallikarjunaswamy hill in T Narasipura taluk the place the male leopard, which claimed two lives, was noticed,” she added.
The division had issued shoot-at-sight order towards the leopard after it killed a university scholar Meghana (23) on December 1 at S Kebbehundi village in T Narasipura taluk. The identical leopard had allegedly killed Manjunath (22) at ML Hundi village in T Narasipura taluk on October 31.
In the meantime, a feminine leopard was caught in a cage in Echagalli in Nanjanagudu taluk in Mysuru on Thursday. A fortnight again the villagers had complained {that a} leopard with three cubs had attacked home animals and urged the officers to catch it.