Coimbatore: The forest department is trying to identify a vehicle that mowed down a male leopard in the Karamadai forest range of Coimbatore forest division.
Frontline staff from Manar beat of Karamadai forest range had found the carcass of the five-year-old animal at Pasunkanimedu reserve forest area, 20 metres away from Mulli -Pillur dam road, around 6.30pm on Friday.
Forest veterinary officer A Sukumar conducted postmortem on Saturday in the presence of district forest officer D Venkatesh and members of non-governmental organisations. Samples were collected for laboratory examination and the carcass was cremated in the reserve forest.
A portion of the leopard’s tail and four claws on left foreleg were found severed, Sukumar said. “An eight-centimetre-deep injury was found on its neck. It had also suffered internal bleeding. Looks like the leopard was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road,” he said.
Officials have collected details of vehicles from the forest department’s check post at Mulli.