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Throttled, brickbatted Baburi leopard succumbs to internal injuries
Two rescued leopards in Kheri succumbed to injuries despite treatment. Officials urge villagers to avoid close encounters and report sightings.
The two rescued leopards- an eight-month-old female caught near Jatpurwa village and another a four-year-old male from Baburi villages, both in Dhaurahra range of north Kheri forest division - succumbed to internal injuries on Wednesday.
Despite hectic efforts and medical treatment by the veterinary expert team from Dudhwa, the two big cats could not survive.
Saureesh Sahai, deputy field director, Dudhwa buffer zone, said, “The post-mortem examination of both the leopards as per NTCA guidelines was carried out and carcasses were later disposed of.
Sahai added that the postmortem examination of the Baburi leopard revealed heavy internal bleeding due to injuries, leading to its death.
In Baburi, the male leopard was hiding in a brick kiln where it attacked Mihi Lal, 35, who bravely countered the attack and survived though sustaining multiple injuries on his chest and hands.
Mihi Lal and three others injured were rushed to the district hospital, where they were treated and reported out of any danger.
However, the male leopard had to face mob fury which hurled bricks at it, causing serious internal injuries.
The postmortem of the Jatpurwa female leopard, revealed that its lungs and kidneys suffered serious hemorrhaging probably due to prolonged infection, leading to its death. Sahai said that even when the female leopard was rescued from Jatpurwa, its condition was very critical as the leopard was suffering frequent seizures, unable to properly walk or respond to its surroundings.
Sahai said brain tissue, oral, rectal and kidney discharge had been sent to IVRI, Bareilly to ascertain the nature and cause of such infection in Jatpurwa leopard.
DO NOT VIDEOGRAPH BIG CATS
Sahai took serious note of how the villagers took great risk to come in close range of the leopards to take photos and videos in Jatpurwa and also in Baburi.
Sahai said such acts had a greater risk of attacks by wild animals and people should strictly avoid this. He asked villagers to intimate the forest officials in case of sighting of leopard or any other wild animal as the forest teams were specialised in handling such situations.
He said that the Dhaurahra range area was reported to have movements of several leopards and villagers should remain alert about them.
DEO KANT PANDEY
