Leopard, cub run over by vehicle in Tumakuru  

TUMAKURU:  A three-year-old leopard and its cub were run over by a speeding vehicle at Hebburu near here on Friday. According to eye witnesses, a white car, yet to be identified, bound to Tumakuru from Hebburu hit the animals on Kunigal Road and sped away around 10.30 am.Sorest staff led by RFO Mahesh Malagatti rushed to the spot and found the mother leopard clinging to life. By the time the veterinarian reached the spot, it breathed her last. They conducted postmortem of the animals and burnt the carcasses on Saturday.

“It’s high time leopards should be rescued and rehabilitated on 72 acres of fenced enclave at Devarayanadurga Hills which was earlier granted for setting up the Tumkur University campus,” suggested environmentalist T V N Murthy.According to DCF Rame Gowda, the population of leopards has increased in the district and a census of the same would be taken up shortly.