A seven-year-old injured male leopard drowned in a muddy slush in a pond in which it was stuck for 15 hours in a village on the suburbs of Coonoor, Forest Department officials said.
The leopard was spotted limping around Chinnavandisolai village, some 20 km from Udhagamandalam, since Saturday. It got caught in a noose meant to trap wild boars at an estate and injured one of its legs while freeing itself.
The animal was later found trapped in the pond and some villagers informed the Forest Department officials around 5.30 p.m. on Sunday. Police said the officials placed a cage near the pond and planned to tranquilise it when it came out.
However, veterinarians could not arrive at the spot, as a team was deputed to the outskirts of Coimbatore to capture a rogue elephant that was causing panic among people for the last one year, police said.
When a team of officials arrived at the spot this morning, it found the leopard dead, they said.
Villagers alleged that negligence on the part of the department in attending the leopard on time led to its death.
