A male leopard was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Cherambadi Forest Range in Gudalur forest division on Saturday, February 10, 2024. It is suspected that it could have been poisoned.
The leopard was found dead with a few injuries consistent with a fight with another carnivore, but it seemed unlikely that the injuries could have led to its death, forest department officials said. R. Ayyanaar, Forest Range Officer (in-charge), Cherambadi Range, said samples from the animal’s visceral organs were collected and sent for forensic analysis. “The cause of death can only be confirmed once the results are returned,” he said.
Local conservationists said if the leopard had indeed been poisoned, it was most likely from the fallout from negative human-animal interactions in the region over the last two months, where two people died, and three others suffered injuries due to an injured leopard attacking people in the region. “The forest department needs to step up their vigilance, spread awareness and ensure that strict action is taken against people acting against wildlife to serve as a deterrent. Otherwise, a lack of action will only embolden people to cause harm to the animals,” said a conservationist from the Nilgiris.
Forest department officials said this was the third unnatural death of a leopard in the region since 2020. In two other instances, leopards died after being caught in snares and due to poisoning in 2020 and 2022, they said.
