Kasaragod: A day after a leopard preyed on a pet dog tied outside an uninhabited house, the big cat returned to the same spot, prowling the terrace and triggering unease at Paraklayi village in Kodom-Belur grama panchayat.

The house, owned by tech entrepreneur Vikas Nambiar, is in a secluded 10-acre estate in Kalladacheetta. Nambiar and his family live in Delhi. The nearest house belongs to Girish A, a college teacher-turned-farmer, whose home sits on another 16-acre property. "I've seen leopards before in my rubber estate, but they were always elusive. This is the first time I’ve seen one so fearless — returning to the scene of its kill and loitering there," said Girish.

On Tuesday, when Nambiar’s estate workers arrived for work, they noticed the guard dog was missing. The dog, which they fed daily, was usually tied to a long rope in front of the house, allowing it some freedom to move around. A search soon led to a grim discovery — a single forelimb lying in the estate. Suspecting a leopard attack, they immediately alerted Nambiar.

He checked the CCTV footage on his mobile phone and spotted a leopard passing by the dog house on the night of March 31.

On the night of April 1, the leopard came back. Another CCTV camera captured it standing on Nambiar's terrace, staring down at the swimming pool below. Following two successive sightings, the Forest Department deployed its Rapid Response Team (RRT) to survey the area.

"It’s a young, healthy leopard. It may have returned because it didn’t get a full meal," said Kanhangad Forest Range Officer Rahul K.

The area gave enough cover and food for the leopard to loiter. Beyond Nambiar and Girish’s estates, the surrounding land is owned by the government and a local temple, said Rahul. Girish said the area has a lot of wild boars, foxes, rabbits, peacocks and pet and homeless dogs.

After scouting the area, the RRT has requested permission to install camera traps to identify the leopard before seeking authorisation — if necessary — to set up a cage trap. Approval must come from the Chief Forest Conservator in Thiruvananthapuram. "We must follow the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) protocols," Rahul said.

But Girish, echoing residents' frustrations, said bureaucratic delays would only shift the problem elsewhere. "By the time they get permission, the leopard will have moved to another locality and made another kill."

Rahul, however, believes the RRT's presence has already disturbed the leopard. "I don’t think it will return tonight," he said. "If it does, we’ll install the camera traps immediately."

Leopards have been spotted in multiple locations across Kodom-Belur panchayat, including Paraklayi, Chakkittadukam, Mandengam, and Kattumadam. Last Friday, nuns of a convent at Attenganam spotted a leopard crossing the road around 4 pm.

Girish, who lives with his elderly mother, said a month ago he saw a leopard in his rubber estate but it vanished into the woods.

In February and March, forest officials trapped two leopards from Kolathur village in Bedadka panchayat. But there’s little relief — dogs and goats continue to vanish across multiple panchayats in Kasaragod’s midlands, keeping residents on edge.