Nagpur: Two adult male leopards were found dead in a farm well in Adyal forest range under Bhandara forest division on Monday morning. Veterinarians who conducted post-mortem on the carcasses suspect the animals were poisoned and dumped in the well.
According to Bhandara deputy conservator of forest (DyCF) SB Bhalavi, the carcasses were found floating in the well in Kalewada by former sarpanch Mohan Ghogre. The farm is owned by one Saraswata Ghogre and is hardly 600 metres from the protected forest near a lake.
Veterinarian Dr Gunwant Bhadke, who was among those who conducted the post-mortem, said, “We found no sign of accident or electrocution. The changes in internal organs of the animals point towards poisoning. Five nails each of the animals are also missing. Of the two leopards, one was aged around five years and another eight years.”
The incident occurred when Bhandara forest officials are groping in the dark over presence of a tiger in Ganeshpur-Korambi area near the city. Though the tiger has not been recorded in camera traps, indirect evidence about its presence has been seen.
There is spurt in leopard and tiger poaching cases in Bhandara and Gondia districts. On January 5-6, this year, two leopards were found dead with their body parts severed in the Goregaon forest range in Gondia. Prior to that, a tiger was electrocuted in Chutia village in Gondia in November last year.
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