Leopard killed by vehicle on Virar highway?
The carnivore had injury marks and the cause of death will only be determined after we receive the postmortem report from Sanjay Gandhi National Park. JITENDRA RAMGAOKAR, Deputy conservator of forest
PALGHAR: A six-year-old male leopard died on Thursday morning after being reportedly hit by a vehicle near Bhamatpada village in Mandvi forest range, near the busy Mumbai-ahmedabad national highway.
The leopard must have been struck late on Wednesday night while crossing the highway and limped its way to the hamlet and died on Thursday, said a senior forest department official.
Dr Jitendra Ramgaokar, deputy conservator of forest (DCF) Thane, said, “The carnivore had injury marks and the cause of death will only be determined after we receive the post-mortem report from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Borivli. “Expert pathologists from the Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, were also present at the spot, and the body was taken into custody by us.”
The leopard is around 6 years old and 7.5 feet in length, he said. It was first sighted by Subhash Patil, a forest department employee on Wednesday late night who informed authorities that an injured leopard has been sighted in the Mandvi forest cover, Ramgaokar said.
A rescue team was sent to the area. “However, on Thursday morning around 10 am, we were informed about the carcass lying in a field,” Ramgaokar said. “While the post-mortem results are awaited, prima facie the post-mortem lesions are suggestive of a strong mechanical impact resulting in profuse bleeding in musculature and abdomi- nal cavity causing hypovolemic shock and death,” said the senior official.the impact was most likely caused by a vehicle, causing accidental death, he added.
Namrata Pawar, range forest officer (RFO), Mandvi, confirmed there were injury marks on the leopard’s body. “Only an autopsy will ascertain the exact cause of death. We will register an FIR (first information report) if any foul play is suspected,” she said.
The leopard’s paws and its other body parts were intact. It has been confirmed that the leopard was not killed for hunting, as no bullet marks were found, said Ramgaokar. But he added they will also be conducting an X-ray of the body to check for the same.