TIRUPATI: A leopard, rescued recently from a snare in Thumbakuppam reserve forests of Bangarupalem mandal, died while undergoing treatment at Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park here on Saturday.
According to zoo curator Y. Srinivasulu Reddy, the two-year-old female leopard succumbed to injuries which it sustained during the ordeal along with a bout of dehydration. “The injuries were quite severe near the midriff and jaw area, as the animal tried to gnaw at the snare,” he added.
The leopard was trapped in a snare meant for wild boars in the early hours of January 18. Residents of the nearby forest hamlets, who had heard the agonising cries of the animal, informed forest officials. In the meantime, the presence of crowd and pelting of stones by some miscreants made the animal burst into violent convulsions, further aggravating the injuries. Later in the evening, officials rescued the leopard and shifted it to S.V. Zoological Park for according medical treatment.
