Coimbatore, Dec. 11
In what could be a very dangerous and foolish act, people residing along the forest fringes in Madukkarai area, are invariably inviting leopards to residential colonies by throwing wastes on the forest boundary.
Waste, including household waste, restaurant waste and poultry waste are dumped along the forest fringes close to the Elephant Proof Trenches (EPTs) inviting wild boars and with them, their predator, leopards, which are common in the Madukkarai Range.
According to sources, Madukkarai forest range has a variety of wild mammals including elephants, gaurs, spotted deers, sambar deers, boars, leopards and smaller cats. Among them, elephants and boars are often in conflict with people, largely farmers.
While many complain that lack of proper food and water are driving these animals away from the reserve forests to populated areas, dumping of waste has emerged as a major culprit at least in the case of boars venturing out of the reserve.
“We have often found boars feeding on the waste and the smell of poultry waste could easily draw them here. They will feed on them and then move on to farmlands,” a local man said.
He further added that following the boars, leopards have started emerging close to the fringes, which is a threat to cattle.
“Cries of boars being hunted by leopards can be heard during the evenings. Some people have also seen leopard sitting on the hills. Recently, some of our cattle were also missing and we suspect that leopards could have consumed them,” another former added.
There are more than thousand houses that line the forest fringe in Madukkarai area, and lack of dustbins force people to dump the waste, indirectly causing a grave threat.
Reacting to this, Forest officials said that they conduct regular cleaning campaigns to clear waste along the fringes. “We also request public not to litter these areas,” said an official.
It may be noted that people of Madukkarai recently lodged a complaint with the district administration that stray dogs in the area are leading leopards to towns. The complaint was given after a leopard died inside a church at Madukkarai a few months ago.