Carcass of leopard found in Bandhwari, poaching ruled out

GURGAON: A leopard carcass was found at Bandhwari village in the Aravalis off Gurgaon-Faridabad road on Friday.
The cause of death of the adult, male leopard could not be ascertained as the carcass was decomposed. Wildlife department officials said they suspect the big cat died a month ago, either due to natural causes or injuries suffered in a fight with another wild animal.“We ruled out an accident as the carcass was found far from the main road. It looks like a fight between two animals that led to the death or some illness,” wildlife inspector Rajesh Chahal said on Friday.
Though the Aravalis make for a suitable habitat for leopards, road kills aren’t uncommon in the region. Bandhwari falls on the fragmented corridor that leopards use between Sariska in Rajasthan and Asola Bhatti in Delhi. At least 11 leopards have died in accidents on roads cutting through the forest areas between Delhi and Haryana since 2008.
Officials and experts said there were no indications of poaching. “The leopard may have died around 30 days back as the carcass was decomposed. Every leopard lost in the Aravalis is of concern. We are doing everything possible to ensure that leopards who live there are safe,” Chahal said. The carcass was to be cremated at the Sultanpur National Park.
“The leopard’s fangs, nails and skin were intact, which means it is not a case of poaching. The area where the carcass was found is 6km away from the Bandhwari landfill,” said Sunil Harsana, a wildlife researcher. The Indian leopard (panthera pardus fusca) is protected under Schedule I (that bars hunting) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. World over, leopards are near-threatened species.
According to an activist, water in the Bandhwari area is contaminated because of the landfill. “There have been several wildlife deaths in this area over the years,” said Vaishali Rana Chandra, an environmentalist. When asked, another district wildlife officer said they cannot conclude water contamination as the cause of death as an autopsy could not be carried out. “But if it was contamination, then not just one leopard, other animals would have also died or fallen sick,” he added.