Two leopards drive Chittoor villagers off terraces and indoors for three months
Two leopards have kept villagers in Chittoor rural mandal indoors for nearly three months, forcing an end to the customary practice of sleeping on terraces and in courtyards.
For generations, families in parts of Chittoor rural mandal in Andhra Pradesh have slept under the open sky from March to October to escape the heat. That habit has now been abandoned, with two leopards moving through the area for close to three months and turning terraces, balconies and courtyards into spaces people avoid after dark. Night temperatures in the region have been hovering around 30°C, but residents say fear has kept them behind closed doors.
The unease spans a cluster of villages around Diguvamasapalle panchayat and into Thalambedu panchayat, taking in Thatimakula Pallim, Chettigaripalle, the Yanadi ST Colony and Bangareddypalle. Residents of SC and ST colonies in particular say sleeping outdoors has long been their way of coping with the summer heat.
Forest officials believe the two animals are survivors of a territorial fight involving three leopards about four months ago. One was killed near Doddipalle, within Chittoor Corporation limits, and the remaining two have since been sighted repeatedly around the villages.
About three months ago, one of the leopards is said to have killed a pet dog at Channamagudipalle. Stray dogs have also reportedly been killed at several places in Chittoor rural and the neighbouring GD Nellore mandal.
A close encounter at dusk on September 6 deepened the alarm. Siva Achari, 38, a blacksmith from Kothur, said he was riding home from Chittoor on a motorcycle with his son when a leopard bounded across the road and over his head, causing him to fall off the vehicle. While some villagers initially wondered whether he had mistaken a hyena or a monkey for a leopard, Achari stood by his account. Village elders said he ran a high fever that night and remained unwell for two days.
A power outage on the night of September 9 added to the anxiety, with supply restored only around midnight. Residents also said linemen were reluctant to visit the affected areas after dark because of the fear of encountering a leopard.
Senior BJP and farmer leader Kothur Babu said the matter had been raised with the police, forest officials and Chittoor MLA Gurajala Jagan Mohan. Forest officials have surveyed forested stretches using drones and advised residents against unnecessary movement after dusk. Villagers, however, want the two leopards captured and relocated.