Leopard Attacks and Protests Spark Shutdown in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, India

Two people have been killed and four injured in leopard attacks over the past 15 days in Tamil Nadu’s Bandalur district. The most recent incident occurred yesterday when a three-year-old girl, daughter of a migrant worker from Jharkhand, was mauled to death in a tea garden. This comes after a tribal woman named Saritha also died in a leopard attack on December 21 in Pandalur. With a total of two fatalities and four injuries, residents are growing increasingly anxious. In response, locals have demanded that the forest department take action to catch or shoot the leopard responsible. The situation has escalated to the point where a one-day bandh, or strike, has been declared, affecting traffic at the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Gudalur Legislative Assembly Member Pon Jayaseelan has called for compensation for the victims and complete shutdowns in Gudalur and Bandalur. Local residents allege that the forest department did not respond promptly to the leopard attacks. The road blockade, which began on Saturday night, lasted for 11 hours until the police dispersed the protestors. Traffic movement has since resumed on the Gudalur-Kerala Kallati road.