Speeding vehicle kills a leopard cub near Ahmedabad

A speeding vehicle allegedly killed a leopard cub on the Savarkundla-Jesar state highway near Savarkundla town in Amreli district. Forest staff found the cub lying dead by the roadside near Chaudnala and said that efforts were on to locate its mother. 

“A post-mortem revealed that the sub-adult male cub had died due to internal haemorrhage caused after it was hit by some vehicle on the highway. By the time our staff noticed the cub during a special patrolling drive due to Diwali festivities, it had died already,” Anshuman Sharma, deputy conservator of forests of Gir (east) told The Indian Express.

 “Our staff is keeping a close watch in the area as it is possible a leopard mother could be accompanying the cub. However, they have not been able to locate any animal in the vicinity of the road stretch where the accident took place,” Sharma added.

Gir forest and other protected areas are the last natural habitat of Asiatic lions. The forest also hosts one of the largest population of leopards in the state.