Six-month-old leopard cub run over in Bandipur

‘Unidentified vehicle may have been overspeeding’

A six-month-old leopard cub was run over by a heavy vehicle near Moolehole in Bandipur on Friday.

The accident took place around 5 p.m. and the female cub was run over close to a speed breaker by the unidentified vehicle. “Cubs seldom move out on their own and tend to be in the company of their mother and hence we suspect that it was following its mother or siblings when it was run over by the speeding vehicle,” said Assistant Conservator of Forests Anthony.

He said a spot inspection indicated that there was a curve after which was the speed breaker and the vehicle may have been overspeeding when it ran over the cub a few metres ahead of the road hump.

“We keep advocating for more number of speed breakers but the road being a national highway connecting Gundlupet with Kozhikode in Kerala, there are limitations,” said the official. A case has been registered but in the absence of definite clue and information, investigation is unlikely to make much headway.

Wildlife activists pointed out that motorists tend to violate speed limits while driving through the national park despite awareness campaigns to reduce speed as animals have the right of way in the park.