A two-and a half- year-old female leopard was found dead on the Gurugram-Faridabad road early Saturday morning, said officials familiar with the incident.
The leopard was discovered around 6.30am, approximately one kilometre from the Pali police post on the Faridabad side, said officials.
“As per the preliminary investigation, it looks like an accident. The leopard was bleeding profusely, and it appeared that a head injury was the cause of death. The injury indicates a high-speed collision with a heavy vehicle as the probable cause. However, exact details will be revealed after the autopsy,” said Ramkumar Jangra, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Gurugram.
A postmortem was conducted by a team of doctors on Saturday. “The leopard had multiple injuries on the head, face. As per the forensic officials, the impact was high and the leopard died on the spot. We are also scanning CCTV footage to identify the vehicle,” said DFO Jangra.
Similar deaths have occurred in recent years, including an eight-month-old female leopard killed on the same stretch in 2015, and a 12-year-old male leopard struck near Manesar in 2014.
Meanwhile, environmentalists argue that the road slices through a vital wildlife zone, bridging Asola Sanctuary and the Aravalli Hills, a key leopard habitat. They are demanding the construction of wildlife crossings such as overpasses, underpasses, or elevated road sections so that animals can move safely across without encountering traffic.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, environmentalists argue that the road slices through a vital wildlife zone, bridging Asola Sanctuary and the Aravalli Hills, a key leopard habitat. They are demanding the construction of wildlife crossings such as overpasses, underpasses, or elevated road sections so that animals can move safely across without encountering traffic.
{{/usCountry}}“A dedicated wildlife corridor must be created across the road. Such infrastructure would protect wildlife and commuters,” a local environmentalist Vaishali Rana said.
Chetan Agarwal, an independent forest analyst said after the construction of four-lanes on the Gurugram-Faridabad road more than 15 years ago, there have been periodic deaths of leopards.
“The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) too has instituted guidelines for making effective crossings for animals. It is high time that Delhi and Haryana governments sit together and identify 5-10 of the main crossing points and make underpasses and overpasses. Haryana cannot afford to lose more of its biggest cats,” said Agarwal.
Agarwal said that instead of spending 100 crores for the creation of a jungle safari, the government should consider creating wildlife crossings.
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