Leopard of The Yellagiri Hills - Second Hunt For The Leopard

Second Hunt For The Leopard

Seven weeks later, a mail carrier at Jalarpet disappeared, and a subsequent search in the nearby hills resulted in the discovery of his spear and later, his body. Anderson left Bangalore, this time fully equipped with a .405 Winchester. The villagers informed him that a leopard had been sighted regularly on a hill named Periamalai (English: big hill), three miles east to the village and five miles from where the carrier had been killed. After selecting a spot near where the leopard was last sighted, Anderson returned to the village in order to procure a bait. This time, he chose a donkey, because unlike a goat which would have been completely devoured in one sitting, the donkey was large enough to warrant the leopard returning after its first meal. Three donkeys were purchased, one was tethered on the site of the mail carriers death, the other two on the village outskirts. The donkeys remained untouched for several days, until one night, the donkey at the mail carriers death site was killed and eaten. Anderson and some villagers rushed to the site and constructed a well camouflaged machan near the body. Anderson waited, and at nightfall, he heard the breathing of the leopard near the carcass. Preferring to wait until the animal had settled down on its kill, Anderson did not open fire. Nothing happened, and by 9:00 p.m, Anderson heard the leopard growling. Having somehow become aware of Anderson's presence, the leopard growled loudly for a few moments, before charging at the machan. Anderson fired at the leopard, but the shot was deflected by a tree branch. The leopard ran into the brush, and did not return. Morning revealed that the donkey carcass had been untouched and there was no indication that Anderson's shots had injured the leopard. Anderson returned to Bangalore after instructing the villagers to inform him should another attack take place.