Villagers spot dead leopard hanging from tree

Berhampur: An adult male leopard was found dead after being trapped in a snare near Jarada village under Ganjam district’s Kabisurya Nagar block on Tuesday. Forest officials recovered the carcass of the big cat from the top of the tree near the village, which comes under Khallikote forest range in Berhampur forest division.After being trapped in the snare, the leopard might have climbed the tree where it succumbed, said a forest officer. The snare entangled in the animal was found in its carcass, sources said.Unknown miscreants might have laid it for hunting wild boar and some other wild animals, suspected Sunny Khokkar, divisional forest officer, Berhampur. He said the post-mortem of the carcass was conducted.The carcass of the big cat hanging from a branch of the tree was spotted by some villagers, who informed the forest officials.

Senior forest officials, including DFO Berhampur and assistant conservator of forests, Khallikote, Diby Shankar Behera, rushed to the spot. The carcass was recovered from the tree jointly by the forest and fire personnel.“A search operation was launched to identify and nab the persons responsible. Strict action will be taken against the wildlife offenders involved in illegal hunting activities,” said DFO.It was the second leopard to die in the state after becoming trapped in a snare in the last two months. In May, an adult leopard was killed after being trapped in a snare, illegally laid by the miscreants in a reserve forest under Nilgiri forest range of Balasore wildlife division, sources said.