Chennai, April 6 : The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has set up thirteen teams to catch the leopard that was spotted near Mayiladuthurai town on April 2. However, the leopard is elusive for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday.

The Department has also deployed an infrared drone to locate the leopard but so far, there has been no success as the big cat could not be traced.

Forest officials told IANS that the pug marks of the animal were detected at the neighbouring Arockiathapuram village. The Department has installed 16 cameras in Mayiladuthurai and surrounding villages of Arockiathapuram, Semmangulam, Oorkudi and Sitharkadu.

The villagers, on Thursday, had night spotted the body of a goat mauled supposedly by the leopard in Sitharkudi village. Forest Department officials have confirmed that the goat was killed by the leopard.

Panic has struck Mayiladuthurai and surrounding areas and people are not venturing out of their homes. Schools have been closed and police protection is provided for schools where tenth board exams were conducted.

Meanwhile, Mayiladuthurai District Collector, A. P. Mahabarathi requested people not to disrupt the activities of the special teams. He said that few people had raised alarm, and added that this would interrupt the search operation.

/IANS