A female leopard and two cubs died after they came in contact with live wires laid to poach wild boars in Maharashtra's Gondia district
Representational picture
A female leopard and two cubs died after they came in contact with live wires laid to poach wild boars in Maharashtra's Gondia district, an official said on Tuesday. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the death of the big cats.
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The incident came to light after a grazer informed forest officials about a foul smell hanging in the air in the Deori forest range in the district, the official said.
A search by the forest department led to the discovery of the carcasses of a leopardess and two cubs. Officials also found electric wires used for poaching at the spot, he said.
Working on a tip-off, forest officials detained eight persons from Bhoyartola and Mehtakheda villages and subsequently placed four under arrest.
According to Assistant Conservator of Forest G F Rathod, the four confessed that they had laid live wires to poach wild boars on the night of August 26 but it led to the death of the wild cats.
The body parts were intact, he said.
Also read: Maharashtra: Unknown vehicle runs over leopard in Bhandara
After completing post-mortem and other formalities, the carcasses were consigned to flames, he said.
A case has been registered against the four under the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Forest Act.
On July 20, a leopard was found dead along National Highway 53 in Bhandara in Maharashtra.
The male leopard, around two-and-half-year-old, was run over by an unknown vehicle in the early hours of the day in Kalewada beat near compartment 170, the official said.
The carcass was shifted to the forest department's Gadegaon depot and it will disposed of as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, he said.
In June 2023, Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department rescued a male leopard who was trapped in a 30-foot-deep open well in Nimgaon Sava village in Otur Forest Range, and released into its habitat.
The residents of Nimgaon Sava village were alerted by an unfamiliar sound from a well. Upon a closer inspection, they saw a leopard struggling to stay afloat in nearly 30-foot-deep open well. Concerned for the animal’s well-being, they immediately informed the Maharashtra Forest Department.
A rescue team from the Wildlife SOS Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre was also called to assist the forest officers. Equipped with the necessary rescue gear, the team reached the location immediately. After assessing the situation, the NGO’s team and the forest department staff devised a strategy.
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