Leopard found dead near Chamarajanagar village, poisoning suspected

CHAMARAJANAGAR: The partially decomposed carcass of a leopard was found near Homma-Basavarajapura in Chamarajanagar taluk, raising suspicions of foul play. The leopard is believed to have died a few days ago. A Forest department official said on Thursday that the leopard’s death appears to be a revenge killing by poisoning.

The leopard’s carcass was found in a vacant land and Forest officials arrived at the scene, and a post-mortem examination was conducted by a veterinarian to determine the cause of death. A calf’s carcass was also found near the leopard, with about 90 per cent of it eaten. The authorities suspect that the leopard may have died after consuming the calf, which may have been poisoned.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Bhaskar stated that the leopard is a male, aged around 5.5 to 6 years and it is suspected that the leopard died about three days ago. The DCF suspected foul play, stating that the leopard’s death appears to be a revenge killing. Samples of the leopard, the calf, and the soil have been collected and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.

The authorities are investigating all angles, including the possibility that the leopard was killed elsewhere and brought to the scene. A team led by Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Manjunath has been formed to investigate the incident.

The DCF also mentioned that Chamarajanagar is a pristine habitat for wildlife, and the increasing number of wild animals has led to conflicts between humans and animals.

On Wednesday, the police used a dog squad to search the area, but no leads were found yet. This is not the first such incident in the area, as a leopard was previously found dead near Kottalavadi in Chamarajanagar taluk, also suspected to be due to poisoning.