Residents lay siege to Hasanur Forest Office over leopard attacks
Residents in Erode, Tamil Nadu, staged a protest and blocked a national highway to demand action against a leopard responsible for human and livestock deaths. The protest occurred despite the Forest Department having captured the leopard and its cubs the previous day.
Why it matters
It reflects the growing human-wildlife conflict in rural India and the public's frustration with administrative response times.
Residents lay siege to Hasanur Forest Office over leopard attacks left Residents staging a sit-in protest on National Highway 948 (Dindigul–Mysuru) in Hasanur in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Friday Special Arrangement The Hindu https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/tq2yrs/article71615679.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/9870_23_10_2026_15_4_19_1_IMG_20261023_WA0023.JPG HANDOUT_E_MAIL Erode, Tamil Nadu, 23/10/2026: Residents staging a sit-in protest on National Highway 948 (Dindigul–Mysuru) in Hasanur in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Friday. Photo: Special arrangement / The Hindu The protest came a day after the leopard and two cubs were captured by the Forest Department ERODE More than 250 residents laid siege to the Hasanur Forest Division office on Friday (October 23, 2026), condemning the delay in taking action against a leopard suspected of killing a person and more than 25 head of livestock in the area over the past nine months. The protest came a day after the leopard and two cubs were captured by the Forest Department.
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