Leopard found dead in trap laid for wild boar
Forest department officers Kalyani Ghodase, Sachin Puri, Nanasaheb Chavan, Sunita Shirsat and Ramesh Kolekar inspected the site
A foul stench emitting from sugar cane fields led farmer Shashikant Ladkat to investigate and find a carcass of leopard stuck in a trap made for catching wild boar.
The carcass was found on Saturday, but the animal was dead maybe a week back, said officials.
Deepak Pawar, assistant conservator of forests, said, “I received a call from a sugarcane farmer in Ladkatwadi, taluka Daund, about the dead leopard. We found that it was a six-year-old male leopard, who seemed to have struggled to escape and died. The leopard was probably stuck for almost a week. The animal was cremated at the forest area of Pimpalgaon after Dr Anil Ingwale conducted the autopsy.”
Forest department officers Kalyani Ghodase, Sachin Puri, Nanasaheb Chavan, Sunita Shirsat and Ramesh Kolekar inspected the site.
There have been past incidences of leopards being caught in jaw traps and open wells.
Pawar said that a case has been registered against the hunter who had laid the trap.
Leopard rescued
A female leopard, aged between 10-12 years, was rescued on Thursday from a house in Helgav village in Koynanagar, Satara district. The leopard was found in an emaciated and weak condition by the Maharashtra forest department and has been shifted to the Wildlife SOS Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar. The incident happened on Thursday when the family was away for Durga Puja idol immersion and found the leopard wandering inside their home after their return.
Later, the forest officers conducted the rescue operation.
Wildlife SOS veterinary doctor conducted a medical examination which revealed a corneal opacity in the right eye and severe wear and tear of the canines, which denoted the old age of the leopard. Due to heavy rains, the leopard was in a hypothermic state, said officials.