- A seven-year-old injured male leopard drowned in a muddy slush in a pond in which it was stuck for 15 hours in a village on the suburbs of Coonoor.
- The leopard was spotted limping around Chinnavandisolai village, some 20 km from Udhagamandalam, since Saturday. It got caught in a noose meant to trap wild boars at an estate and injured one of its legs while freeing itself.
- The animal was later found trapped in the pond and villagers informed the Forest officials around 5.30 pm on Sunday. Police said the officials placed a cage near the pond and planned to tranquillise it when it came out.
- However, veterinarians could not arrive at the spot, as a team was deputed to the outskirts of Coimbatore to capture a rogue elephant that was causing panic among people for the last one year, police said.
- The leopard was dead by the time a team arrived. Villagers alleged that Department’s negligence in attending the leopard on time led to its death.
(With PTI inputs)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)