Mahidpur (Madhya Pradesh): A dead leopard was found on Friday in a forest near Baijnath temple, about 6 km from Mahidpur town. The leopard, estimated to be around 2 years old, was discovered by a farmer named Shankarlal Jharkhedi in his field.
The smell from the carcass prompted him to inform Agriculture Committee former president and Baijnath Gram Panchayat sarpanch Kailashpuri Gauswami.
Gauswami then contacted Kailash Thakur, an officer from the Forest Range in Tarana, who alerted senior officials. A team, including FDO Prabhudas Gebaria and veterinary officers, arrived at the scene to investigate.
They found no visible injuries on leopard's body, which weighed about 45kg. The leopard was cremated in a forest department nursery in the presence of local authorities.
The cause of death is still unclear, but officials suspect it may be due to extreme heat and lack of water. A complete report will be available after further examination in the viscera laboratory. Notably, leopards were not seen in this area for the past 50-60 years, raising questions about how this one ended up there.
