A technical monitoring committee constituted as per the National Tiger Conservation Association (NTCA) guidelines has recommended installing a cage to capture the leopard that has reportedly strayed into human settlements in the Kariyamkapp area. The recommendation has been submitted to the Chief Wildlife Warden following an online meeting of the committee held on Monday.
The decision was taken in view of the continued presence of the leopard in Kariyamkapp and Vendekumchal areas, causing fear among residents. The meeting was chaired by Kannur Divisional Forest Officer S. Vysakh, as mandated under the NTCA protocol.
Kelakam panchayat president Lissy Joseph raised public concerns at the meeting, stating that the leopard had been frequently sighted at human habitations and along Unnathi Road, a stretch with heavy public movement.
While agreeing to proceed with the trapping, forest officials and expert members cautioned that installing a cage alone would not offer a lasting solution unless conditions that attract wildlife were addressed. Aralam Wildlife Warden V. Ratheesh and NTCA nominee Dr. Roshnath pointed out that unsafe livestock rearing practices and abandoned overgrown private plantations were major contributors to human-wild animal conflict.
Experts noted that livestock kept without proper enclosures or lighting along forest fringes was drawing wild animals into residential areas. They also highlighted that uninhabited private plots overrun with thick vegetation were providing hiding spaces for leopards.
The Forest department informed the meeting that as per a 2023 Local Self-Government (LSG) department circular, panchayats are empowered to ensure the clearing of such overgrown private lands. The list of identified plots had already been shared with the LSG department through the district-level committee on human-wildlife conflict mitigation in July 2025. Failure to clear these areas was cited as a key reason for the leopard lingering near settlements.
Accepting the expert recommendations, the panchayat president assured that urgent steps would be taken to clear overgrown private lands and to ensure secure shelters and adequate lighting for livestock.
Considering the residential nature of the area and the risk to human life, the Forest department will proceed with steps to install the cage as recommended.
