Captured leopard dies due to likely attack by another carnivore in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A leopard, which was captured from an under-construction building by the forest department in Coimbatore on Monday night, died on Tuesday allegedly due to injuries sustained in an attack by another carnivore.

The forest department was tracking the female leopard, aged around five years, after it frequented villages adjoining forest areas to prey on livestock raised by farmers in the Thondamuthur area.

Over the last few days, the leopard has preyed on eight goats in Kembanur and Onapalayam localities. The villagers, gripped in fear by its frequent intrusions, demanded that the forest department capture the animal.

Efforts were then made to trap the leopard by placing two cages, one at Attukal Kembanur Pallam and another at a farm in Onapalayam on Siruvani Road. Meanwhile, on receiving information that the leopard was hiding in an under-construction house near Onapalayam, a team of the forest department rushed to the spot with a net and sedatives on Monday night.

“After a long struggle, the animal was administered sedative shots and caught with a net. An examination by a team of veterinarians under the supervision of senior officials revealed severe injuries all over its body,” said a forest department official.

The leopard had sustained bite marks in a likely fight with another carnivore.

“Its canine tooth was broken and also suffered fractures in its limbs. The leopard, which was taken to be treated at the forest department quarters in the Marudamalai area, had however died without responding to treatment,” the official added.

A post-mortem was conducted and samples were lifted to ascertain the exact reason for its death.