Bhubaneswar: Locals of Mindol village in the Athamallik forest under Dhandatopa range spotted the carcass of an adult leopard in a cashew forest on Sunday morning. According to reports, the leopard got trapped in a mesh laid by poachers and died about a week ago as the carcass is completely decomposed.
The local villagers discovered the leopard’s carcass when they went inside the forest to graze cows and goats.
On being informed, the Forest Department personnel reached the spot and started an investigation into the mysterious death of the leopard. Forest officials said that the exact reason behind the leopard’s death will be known after an autopsy of the carcass.
Incidentally, the carcass of another leopard was earlier recovered from Phuljhari forest under the Kishorenagar block on November 6 last year, while another dead leopard was found in a paddy field near Batrakhol forest under the Handpa forest range on December 18, 2021.
