Four cows were killed early Friday morning in a suspected wild animal attack at Barapole-Makkandam, Ayyankunnu panchayat in Iritty. The cows belonged to Rakesh Pullattu Kunnel and were tethered inside his farm's cowshed when the attack happened. Mr. Kunnel and local residents suspect either a tiger or a leopard was behind the attack. For Mr. Kunnel, who is dealing with a kidney illness, cattle rearing is his only source of income. Residents expressed anger and fear after the incident. They say they have alerted officials repeatedly about wild animals like leopards nearby, but no safety steps were taken. Locals blame the Forest department for negligence, recalling a similar attack two months ago that killed another cow. There are also reports of missing pet dogs in the area. Sunny Joseph, MLA; district panchayat president Binoy Kurian; panchayat president Mini Viswanathan, and Forest department officials visited the farm to assess the situation. The Forest department has now decided to install camera traps in the area to monitor wild animal movement and prevent future attacks.