Three leopards were found dead under suspicious conditions in Belawadi village limits on the outskirts of Mysuru on Saturday.
The carcass of the leopards were noticed near the Belavadi lake by the local villagers who informed the forest department personnel.
It transpired that a leopardess aged between 4 and 5 years and its two cubs – a male and a female - estimated to be around 8 to months had died after consuming the flesh of a dog whose remains were found in the vicinity.
Deputy Conservator of Forest K.C. Prashanth Kumar who visited the spot said that prima facie it seems to be a case of poisoning as there were traces of what is suspected to be pesticide or insecticide sprayed on the dog’s carcass.
The standard operating procedure stipulated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in such cases was followed, and the post mortem was conducted and recorded in the presence of senior officials.
Samples of the dog’s carcass and the three leopards have been collected and will be subjected to analysis in the laboratory to establish the cause of death, said Mr. Prashanth Kumar. The viscera of the carcasses have been sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals at Bengaluru and the Forensic Science Laboratory in Mysuru.
The State Pollution Control Board was asked to take samples of the water to examine if there was a high level of pollution in the lake so as to have caused their death.
Meanwhile, sniffer dogs including Rana from Bandipur Tiger Reserve was pressed into service and a team from the city police also scoured the area for clues.
Incidentally, the place where the leopards were found dead is about 2 to 3 km from the BEML complex where a mother and a few cubs were found sauntering near the compound wall on Tuesday night and the video had gone viral on social media.
Though there are fears that it could be the same leopards that were found poisoned, Mr. Prashanth Kumar said the leopards in the video were smaller in size and hence suspected that these could be different.
The outskirts of Mysuru is an ideal habitat for leopards as the city is surrounded by reserve forests, sugarcane fields and scrub jungles. The hinterland is also linked to Arabhithittu and Chamundi Hill forest.
Being highly adaptable in nature, leopards thrive in such a landscape stalking easy prey such as cattle, street dogs and poultry meat waste dumped in open areas. Over the past few years, more than 50 leopards have been trapped and released into either Bandipur, Nagarahole or Arabhithittu forests but the space is occupied by other leopards.
