Mystery of Two Leopard Deaths in Maharashtra's Gondia District

Two leopards were discovered dead in separate locations in Maharashtra's Gondia district. Officials found the carcasses with their body parts intact. One leopard likely succumbed to being stuck in slush, while the other may have fallen while escaping a tiger. The carcasses were disposed of as per guidelines.

In a puzzling wildlife incident, two leopards were discovered dead in distinct areas of Maharashtra's Gondia district on Monday, according to officials. Remarkably, both big cats were intact, raising questions about the circumstances leading to their deaths.

The initial sighting came when a patrolling team found one leopard lifeless in compartment number 555 within the Dongargaon area of the North Deori forest range. Officials suspect the leopard perished after becoming ensnared in the slush of a drain, possibly during a prey pursuit, stated ACF Sachin Dongarwar.

Meanwhile, the second leopard, an adult, was located in the Tirora forest range around midday. Officials noted nearby tiger pug marks, suggesting the leopard's demise occurred while attempting to flee a potential tiger attack. It appears the animal may have climbed a tree and lost its footing, resulting in its fall. Both carcasses were incinerated following standard protocols, Dongarwar confirmed.

(With inputs from agencies.)