Leopard Found Dead in Pench, Post-Mortem Confirms Death by Drowning
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Nagpur: A one-year-old male leopard was found dead in a well near Dahoda-Bhattitola village in the Paoni buffer range of Pench Tiger Reserve on January 25. The well, located on Purushottam Vasnik's farmland near Compartment No. 246 in Tuyapar Beat, became the site of the incident.
The Rapid Response Team (RRT), forest officials, and local NGO representatives retrieved a dead body. A thorough search of the area using a sniffer dog found no suspicious signs.
On January 26, a detailed post-mortem was conducted under the supervision of Divisional Forest Officer (Vigilance) P.G. Kodape. Veterinarians Dr. Sujit Kolangat (WRTC Gorewada), Dr. S.S. Meshram (Devlapar), and Dr. Mayank Barde (Pench Tiger Project) led the examination. Officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) monitored the procedure.
The autopsy confirmed the leopard’s body was intact. Biological samples were collected for forensic analysis, with preliminary findings pointing to drowning as the cause of death.
The leopard’s remains were cremated per NTCA guidelines to ensure proper disposal. Authorities have urged better precautions around wells in wildlife zones to prevent such tragedies.
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