Leopard found dead in ATR, foul play ruled out

Hyderabad: A grown male leopard was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in the Nallamala forest at Amaragiri in Kollapur range of Nagarkurnool district.
The big cat's carcass was found by locals at around 11 am on Wednesday, who alerted the forest officials immediately.
ATR divisional forest officer Rohit Gopidi said the nine-year-old leopard was in its prime, adding that it did not die of old age.According to initial probe, the leopard might have died 30 hours prior to discovery of its carcass, as signs of decay had already set in. The wild animal's skin, claws and nails were intact, which rules out the possibility of poaching.
While forest officials are on alert to find any suspicious movements of poachers, Gopidi said: "There is nothing to suggest foul-play at this point."
Forest officials said there could be three possible causes of death. Poisoning, electrocution or the big cat dying in a road accident. The carcass was found close to a road, raising suspicion of a vehicle collision.
However, there were no external injuries on the carcass. On the possibility of the leopard electrocuted, Gopidi clarified: "There were no signs of charring or internal burns during the autopsy. No fuses went off nearby, indicating no electric fencing in the area."
Poisoning of the animal was also ruled out, as there was no evidence from the autopsy, and flies and maggots feeding on the body did not perish, which would typically indicate the presence of poison, a senior forest official said.
While internal organs showed no physical injury, the veterinary team found kidney putrefaction, which prevented sending certain samples for testing.
Samples from the liver, claws and canines have been sent to the city-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology for further analysis to provide clarity.
"Though the exact cause of death is yet to be determined, we are also investigating the possibility of disease, as suggested by veterinary doctors, and are awaiting CCMB report," Gopidi said.
The carcass has been disposed of as per norms by incinerating it after the autopsy. Amrabad reserve is home to an estimated 180 leopards as per the 2022 census, and tiger numbers in the reserve are reportedly increasing, which could be affecting territorial boundaries.