Leopard found dead near hen cage in Valparai

COIMBATORE/MADURAI: A leopard was found dead under mysterious circumstances with one of its legs trapped in a hen cage in Valparai on Thursday.

The death of the animal was known, when one Usman had gone to set free the hen from the cage behind his tea shop around 6.30 am near Varattuparai Estate in Valparai.

He was shocked to find a leopard lying dead with paws of one of its legs trapped in the cage. On the instructions of S Ramasubramanian, Field Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), the carcass of the animal was taken to animal rescue centre for post-mortem.

The male leopard is aged around four years. There were no visible external injuries on its body. Though there were speculations that the animal could have been killed, only a post-mortem, likely to be done on Friday will reveal the exact cause of its death.

In another incident of leopard intrusion in Pandalur in The Nilgiris, CCTV’s were fixed in Nayakkancholai in Cherambadi to monitor a leopard which attacked a cow tied in a shed.

Meanwhile, a female elephant spotted with swollen leg by some tribals at Kalanji Madam in Kaliyal Forest Range of Kanniyakumari district died without responding to treatment on Thursday, sources said.

Kanniyakumari DFO M Ilayaraja, said the elephant was found alive in the morning and veterinary staff from Kalakad-Mundanthurai said the animal could not have eaten food