The forest department is stepping up efforts to track animals involved in the killing of daily wage workers in Hasanur

Forest department personnel patrolling a village located along the forest border at Hasanur in Erode district | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The forest department has intensified efforts to track the animal, which was suspected of killing a 36-year-old daily wage laborer near Hasanur, with camera traps installed at four locations, drones deployed for surveillance and night patrolling in forest fringe areas.

The partially consumed body of V. Periyasamy of Thotti Bungalow was found on Sunday (October 4, 2026) morning along a stream near the forest edges under Hasanur range of Hasanur forest division in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). While residents claim that the animal involved was a leopard, citing a series of cattle killings in the villages, the forest department is yet to confirm the species.

Yogesh Kumar Garg, deputy director of STR and district forest officer, Hasanur Forest Division, told The Hindu that the measures were aimed at tracking the movement of animals and tracing the animal involved in the incident. A veterinarian was on standby to attend to any emergency and follow the prescribed standard operating procedure (SoP), he said.

Mr. Garg said residents of villages on the edge of the forest have been advised not to venture out after sunset. A liquor store in the area was also asked to close before 7 p.m. Mobile phone numbers of forest employees have been provided to the residents so that they can contact them in case of emergency.

Affected residents

Residents of Center Thotti, Arepalayam, Ongalwadi, Hasanur and Bungalov Thotti, located along the forest border, have long reported livestock killings attributed to leopards and demanded concrete measures to prevent human-wildlife conflict. They also raised concerns about wild animals moving near human habitations. Mr Periyasamy’s death has renewed their demand for closer monitoring of vulnerable stretches along the forest border and swift action when wild animals are spotted near villages.

Published – 5 Oct 2026 12:01 PM IST