Forest dept uses thermal drones to trace leopard in Mysuru

The search operation strategy was changed as the leopard continues to remain elusive, said one of the officials quoted above.

Weeks after two people were killed in leopard attacks in Mysuru district of Karnataka and a combing operation was launched to trace the animal, the state forest department is now using thermal drone cameras in the search mission, officials in the know of the development said on Friday.

Karnataka forest department is now using thermal drone cameras in the search mission for the leopard in Mysuru. (HT Photo)

The search operation strategy was changed as the leopard continues to remain elusive, said one of the officials quoted above.

State additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) G Kumar Pushkar brought the cameras and the technicians to Mysuru on Wednesday. Thermal cameras are mostly used only by the defence and police personnel in border areas to detect human movement, said the official.

“ We are changing our strategy to trace the animal by using technically advanced cameras. The thermal cameras are being used for the first time in the state to trace the wild animal,” Mysuru chief conservator of forest Dr Malathi Priya said.

Priya said: “The range of normal cameras is 1km, while thermal cameras have a range of 5km which is useful for the combing operation”.

“We have also brought female leopard urine, from the Mysuru zoo, for the operation. We will sprinkle urine near the cage to attract the male leopard which claimed two lives in T Narasipura,” she said.

More than 130 forest officers and staff, divided into 10 teams, are participating in the operation, said the official.

“We have set up 15 cages in multiple locations and are using 20 trap cameras. On Saturday night and on Monday, the male leopard was captured in the camera. We have also increased combing activities near Mallikarjunaswamy hill in T Narasipura taluk where the male leopard, which claimed two lives, was spotted,” she added.

The department had issued shoot-at-sight order against the leopard after it killed a college student Meghana (23) on December 1 at S Kebbehundi village in T Narasipura taluk. The same leopard had allegedly killed Manjunath (22) at ML Hundi village in T Narasipura taluk on October 31.

Meanwhile, a female leopard was caught in a cage in Echagalli in Nanjanagudu taluk in Mysuru on Thursday. A fortnight back the villagers had complained that a leopard with three cubs had attacked domestic animals and urged the officials to catch it.