Sugarcane grown in as many as 23 villages of T. Narsipur taluka of Mysuru district, where leopard sightings are frequent, is to be harvested on a priority basis, reports The Hindu.
The forest depart has urged the farmers to speed up the harvesting activities as two students were killed by leopards in the last 30 days in the region which has become suitable land for the leopards to breed and thrive.
Malathi Priya, Chief Conservator of Forest (Mysuru Circle) said, “Leopards have adapted to survive in sugarcane fields and as the winter begins, the breeding season of leopards also started and there are more chances that they may stay in the cane fields increasing man-animal conflicts.”
“The possibility of leopards hiding in the fields will be reduced once the cane fields are cleared,” she said.
