According to the villagers, the leopard entered a shed belonging to farmers A. Sathyaraj and A. Dhanapal on the night of September 22 and killed three of the fifteen goats kept there, after which the owners raised an alarm and chased the animal away.
The incident prompted a road blockade on September 23, with protesters seeking immediate action to prevent further leopard attacks and compensation for the loss of the goats.
Villagers said they have been notifying Forest Department officials about the leopard’s movements for the past two months but claim no effective measures have been taken; they also allege that the same animal has previously killed several cattle in the area without any compensation being paid to the affected farmers.
Vellithiruppur police, officials from the Chennampatti Forest Range and the Anthiyur Revenue Department met the demonstrators, assuring them that forest staff would step up patrolling, monitor the leopard’s movements and take steps to capture it.
Following these assurances, the residents lifted the blockade and the road was reopened.