Leopard found dead near govt hospital

Udhagamandalam: A male leopard was found dead in Kotagiri town here on Sunday.
According to a forest official, the big cat was found dead inside a bush near the government hospital in Kotagiri, which is situated close to the reserve forest area. Both the forelimbs of the animal were found injured.
Postmortem operation was conducted as per the guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority in the presence of higher officials, a member of an NGO and local body representatives.
Preliminary autopsy report suggested that the animal might have sustained injuries during infighting, leaving it unable to hunt, said Guru Swamy Baddal, district forest officer, Nilgiris division.
Samples of vital parts of the animal were collected for lab test. Later, the carcass was burned in the forest area.