Chennai, Jan 27 (BPNS)

Panic gripped the textile capital of South India, Tiruppur after a leopard attacked two people including a forest watcher on Thursday.

The incident occurred at Ammanapalayam in Tiruppur and the leopard is still on the prowl, according to forest department officials. Forest personnel and police officials are on the lookout for the leopard with veterinary surgeons also in the team to trap the leopard by firing sedatives on it. However the leopard, according to the forest department of Tamil Nadu is still elusive.

Forest department officials said that the leopard was moving from one place to another place and panic has gripped the area. The leopard attacked a garment factory worker, Rajenthran (50) from a garden inside a garment factory at 8 am in the morning on Thursday.

Rajenthran is admitted at Tiruppur government medical college and has sustained injuries across his body. A team of forest officials reached the spot and tried to capture the leopard and in the confusion, the wild animal attacked one more person, a forest guard, Prem Kumar. He has sustained minor injuries and was let off after basic treatment at Tiruppur government medical college hospital.

The Leopard is on the prowl in the area since Monday and has attacked Varadharajan (62) and Mottayian alias Maran (68) of Papankulam in Avinashi were attacked by the leopard. Both of them were farmers and had gone to the maize field near their home when they were attacked.

Later in the day, Manikantan a forest guard was also attacked. With the leopard on the prowl, forest, police, revenue, and veterinary department of Tamil Nadu are on high alert.