Kadaba: Locals anxious over disappearance of pet dogs; leopard attack suspected

Residents in Pulikukku, Panja, and Nerala areas near Kodimbala have expressed anxiety over the rising cases of the disappearance of pet dogs from their homes at night. It is suspected that leopards might have dragged these dogs away.

On August 28 night, two pet dogs belonging to Ramachandra Bhat, a resident of Nekkila near Panja, went missing after being let out of their kennel. A few days earlier, another dog that was sleeping in the sit-out of a neighboring house also disappeared. The following morning, the residents found traces of dog excrement, signs of a struggle, and mud and footprints, indicating a possible encounter with a wild animal.

News of sighting of two leopards with their cubs in the Bollaje, Polenja, Nekkila, and Nerala areas has also spread among locals and it is now believed that the missing dogs might have fallen prey to these leopards.

Alarmed by these incidents, the locals have informed the forest department, which has since sent officials to the area to conduct an investigation.