more-in A three-year-old leopardess was killed by a farmer with a billhook, reportedly in an act of self-defence, at Maharajakadai on Sunday. The farmer sustained injuries in the incident and was admitted to the Krishnagiri government hospital. Ramamoorthy, 62, of Melukollai village in Maharajakadai, stepped out of his house to feed and milk his cow at his shed on Sunday morning, when he encountered the big cat. According to sources, the leopardess was lurking in a mango plantation adjacent to Mr. Ramamoorthy’s cattle shed. When he reached the shed, the animal sprung out of the plantation and charged towards the building. When the farmer tried to ward off the leopardess with a stick, it turned on him, throwing him to the ground. Mr. Ramamoorthy then grabbed a billhook and hacked the charging animal on its left forelimb with it, slicing a nerve. The injured leopardess bled to death, said Forest department veterinarian Prakash. Neighbours rushed to the spot and took the injured Ramamoorthy to the government hospital. On being alerted, a team led by District Forest Officer Deepak S. Bilgi arrived at the spot and held an inquiry. Further, a field investigation was carried out to check the presence of any more leopards. ‘Two more on prowl’ According to Dr. Prakash, there was a possibility that two more leopards were on the prowl, based on the pug marks found at the scene. The dead leopardess was retrieved and an autopsy was carried out by Mr. Prakash. The animal was buried in the adjacent forest near Maharajakadai. A case was registered by the Forest department over the killing of the scheduled animal.

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