Residents alarmed after spotting wild predator near homes — here's what's happening

Residents of the Marayeepalayam village in Tamil Nadu, India, spotted two leopards atop a small hill, near where residents frequent. Despite efforts to track the wildlife, the leopards remain elusive and a threat to local residents who may cross paths with them. 

What's happening?

As the Hindu reported, concerned Marayeepalayam residents reported multiple leopard sightings to the Vilamundi Forest Range Office in early December. The Forest Department investigated and confirmed the leopard sightings and took measures to safely catch the big cat.

According to the Hindu, the Forest Department set out three cages and five camera traps, as well as used drones to surveil the area to attempt to locate the leopards. A search party consisting of 15 Forest Department staff members and 10 villagers also swept the area where the leopards were seen, but to no avail. 

Authorities have warned the public to do their best to avoid areas where the leopards have been seen. 

Why are human-wildlife interactions important?

Residents who had spotted the leopards roaming the hilltop were rightfully panicked. 

Leopards are aggressive and opportunistic predators that have been known to attack humans.

In fact, leopard attacks in India rose last year due to increased human-wildlife interactions, including human development in the leopard's natural habitats, illegal wildlife poaching, and declining prey population. The leopard's desperate — or opportunistic — attempts to seek food may cause leopards to seek out domesticated animals or even humans. 

In Rajasthan, a leopard was spotted roaming the streets of the Bajaj Nagar neighborhood in Jaipur, eventually finding its way into some residents' homes. 

In Bangalore, a 12-year-old tourist was attacked at the Bannerghatta Biological Park when a leopard lunged at the boy through an open window on a safari vehicle. In instances like this, however, human encroachment onto native habitats raises the chances of dangerous leopard encounters. 

What's being done about human-wildlife interactions?

Limiting human-wildlife interactions between leopards and the local community helps keep communities safe. 

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However, the real issue remains — leopards are losing their native habitats due to human intrusion. They face threats of poaching for the illegal market trade, and their prey population has been falling due to human hunting pressure. 

The Ussuri Nature Reserve in Russia recently returned three leopard individuals into the Leopard National Park to attempt to reestablish a new leopard population in the lands where they formerly roamed. 

Modern technology, like drones, has also helped rescue wildlife from poachers, alerting authorities to cases of wildlife trafficking, which allows officials to hold traffickers accountable. 

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