A leopard that got stuck in a cable net apparently laid to trap wild boar at Oni, near the hilly hamlet of Poodamkallu in Kallar grama panchayat, died late on Thursday.
Forest Department officials, with the help of experts from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, had tranquillised the animal and shifted it to a cage around 6 p.m.
The forest officials had then taken the seemingly tired leopard to the Range Forest office at Kanhangad in the evening, Range Forest Officer N. Sudheesh told The Hindu here. The officials are investigating what led to the death of the animal.
The department has registered cases under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and has started an inquiry on the laying of the cable net on the uninhabited bushy land at Oni, some 25 km east of Kanhangad, the official said.
The animal’s stomach had got stuck in the cables and the forest officials had said that the animal might have sustained internal injury.
Officials said the animal might have come from the adjoining Malome reserve forests.
A large number of people reached the spot to have a glance of the animal.