Two leopards killed to avenge dog’s death in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Even as the forest department is evasive about the exact cause of death of two leopards on Wednesday, TOI has learnt that the leopards were killed by a farmer to avenge death of his dog.
As reported, the carcass of the mother and four-month-old cub were found separately in the farm of Raju Umale and Namdeo Bhokre in survey number 56 & 58 in Rajna at the backyard of MOIL mines in Gumgaon near Khapa.
The incident occurred on Monday and carcasses were shifted to Khapa range office on Tuesday night. The forest officials and wildlife veterinarian were evasive about the cause of death and said it might be due to pneumonia.
However, forest department sources said the farmer was peeved after he found half consumed carcass of his dog in his farm. To avenge the dog’s death, the farmer is suspected to have sprayed poison on the carcass. The next day when the leopards returned and consumed the half-eaten carcass, both died on the spot. The carcass of leopardess and cub were found 100 metres apart.
Sources suspect that the farmer might have removed the carcass of the dog and shifted the carcass of leopards ostensibly to show that it was a case of natural death as all body parts of the wild animals were intact.