In a rare incident of wildlife casualties, a leopard was found dead on an electric pole on the outskirts of Thanakalan forest at Gandhinagar, under Mallaram village in rural police station limits, on Varni Road.
District Forest Officer V.S.V. Prasad, who visited the spot, said:
Leopards know climbing trees and poles and it must have come in contact with the live wires after climbing the pole.
Poachers generally kill tigers for their nails which are much sought after but no one prefers the nails of leopards.
The incident might have taken place on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, the official said.
The forest officials lowered the body and after the post mortem, which was done by an assistant veterinary surgeon, it was burnt and the whole process was videotaped, said Mr. Prasad.
