A one-and-a-half-year-old female leopard was found dead near a waterbody in Gairatpur Bas village in the Aravallis here on Tuesday.
The post-mortem revealed that the feline had injuries caused by teeth all over her body and was probably killed in a fight with another leopard.
The matter came to light when the priest of a temple on the outskirts of the village spotted the carcass near the artificial waterbody dug by the Forest Department for animals and informed the villagers. The Forest Department was informed and a team, including Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Shyam Sunder, reached the spot.
“Preliminary investigation suggested that the dead leopard had cut marks around her neck and other parts of the body caused by sharp teeth. It was later confirmed by a team of four doctors who conducted the post-mortem,” said Mr. Sunder.
Territorial animals
Stating that leopards are territorial animals, he said the female had probably ventured into another leopard’s territory, leading to the attack.
“Mothers usually take care of cubs till the age of one year. The female in this case was just over one-year-old and could have just started living on her own in the jungle. The incident also indicates the possibility of a rise in the number of leopards in the Aravallis,” said Mr. Sunder.
In a similar case, a four-year-old male leopard was found dead in a mining pit in the Aravallis in Nuh last November. It was suspected that the feline fell into the pit while chasing its prey.
