Leopard carcass with missing teeth and nails found in MP’s Dhar forest

The decomposed carcass of a leopard with missing teeth and nails was found in Kukshi forest range, about 100 km from Dhar district headquarters, on Tuesday night.

The decomposed carcass of a leopard with missing teeth and nails was found in Kukshi forest range, about 100 km from Dhar district headquarters, on Tuesday night.

Wildlife Institute of India says 31 leopards were killed in 2015, up from 26 a year before in Madhya Pradesh, which has a little more than 1,800 spotted cats. (HT file)

Wildlife Institute of India says 31 leopards were killed in 2015, up from 26 a year before in Madhya Pradesh, which has a little more than 1,800 spotted cats.

This is the second time in three weeks that a leopard carcass has been found in western Madhya Pradesh.

The preliminary investigation suggested the animal might have been killed about a week ago, said Dhar forest officer Gourav Choudhary .

“The carcass was so decomposed that doctors at Mhow veterinary hospital refused to conduct a postmortem. We brought back the carcass to Dhar district veterinary hospital where the postmortem was done, after which it was cremated,” he said.

On the possibility of poaching, the forest officer said, “It is very early to draw any conclusion as the department team is yet to find any human traces or mark near the spot. However, we can’t dismiss the possibility.”