mysuru the leopard taskforce with a strong team of 58 members to address problems related to leopard sightings will start its operation next weekthe process of hiring outsourced employees most of them with tribal backgrounds is nearing completion and deployment will be done in the mysuru forest circle comprising two districts mysuru and mandya the leopard taskforce has been formed on the lines of the elephant taskforce following backtoback incidents of four human deaths within a span of three monthsdeputy conservator of forests territorial basavaraj kn who heads the task force on thursday told reporters that four conflict regions have been identified two each in mysuru and mandya districts and personnel will be deployed in these areas where there are frequent sightings of leopardsone team will be deployed in t narasipura where four persons including two women one child and a youth lost their lives following the leopard attack another team will be in mandyas kr pet taluk two will be stationed at mysuru headquarters and another at mandya these teams will reach the spot soon after obtaining information and take the necessary steps to alleviate the situation the ifs officer stated of the total 58 members 40 will be hired for the task force on a contract basis according to the dcf leopards are in conflict with humans in around 28 villages in the mysuru circlerumours on leopard attacks are on the riseamid leopard attacks on livestock and humans dogs attacking cattle and livestock are being reported within a span of one week from january there were three incidents in which a pack of dogs killed a calf ate cattle and killed eight livestock in mysuru at first it was believed to be a leopard attack but basavaraj said an investigation ruled out a leopard attackclaiming it is unusual for leopards to attack humans he asked the public not to panic soon after an incident instead he asked the people to alert foresters and wait to hear from them to ascertain whether it was a leopard or not in the last three years 65 leopards have been rescued in mysuru district including three in the last month leopard conflicts are high in t narasipura and mysuru taluksawaiting ccmb fsl reportsnearly three weeks after jayanth an 11yearold boy was killed in a suspected leopard attack in t narasipura foresters are awaiting confirmation from the centre for cellular molecular biology ccmb and forensic science laboratory that the boy was killed by the leopard that was rescuedthe dcf said we are expecting a report in three to four days to confirm the leopard killed the boy circumstantial evidence proves the presence of a leopard there and after it was rescued no fresh leopard attack on livestock cattle or information of sightings was reported