The discovery was first made by villagers grazing goats, who alerted the forest department. When teams reached the spot, they found both front paws severed, nails removed, and the upper canines cut with what appeared to be a sharp mechanical tool. A clutch-wire snare was recovered from nearby, with a section still wrapped around the leopard’s torso.
Post-mortem findings by veterinarians Dr. Vivek Sharma and Dr. Chaturbhuj Nagar confirmed death due to severe blood loss caused by the tightened snare. The absence of scuffle marks, drag signs, or blood at the dump site led officers to conclude the kill happened elsewhere. “From the cuts and carcass condition, this is a clear poaching case. But the spot doesn’t match the struggle. The kill happened somewhere else,” a senior forest officer said.
A dog squad and the State Tiger Strike Force combed a three-kilometre radius on Sunday. The sniffer dog traced a scent trail toward a nearby farmhouse, prompting investigators to widen their search. Villagers have reported suspicious activity in recent days.
The carcass lay under guard through the night before a detailed examination was conducted on Sunday morning. After the autopsy, forest officials performed the leopard’s last rites as per protocol.
The location where the body was dumped sits at the edge of forest and revenue land — terrain often exploited by poachers due to patchy surveillance. Officials say multiple leads are being followed. “Post-mortem has confirmed it is poaching. Teams are tracing the original kill site and the people involved. We are probing every angle,” an officer said.
The Forest Department is now working to identify the network behind the killing and track the missing body parts, which carry high value in the illegal wildlife trade.
