Leopard found dead in Pench national park

A leopard was found dead with its body mutilated in the Indira Gandhi Pench National Park's core area, forest officials said today.
The leopard was found dead by the beat staff in Karmajhiri range of the national park yesterday after which the carcass was seized and sent for autopsy. Last rites were conducted after the post-mortem, said Pench Tiger Reserve's Field Director, Shubhranjan Sen.
The post-mortem was conducted by veterinarian Dr Akhilesh Mishra, he added.
The leopard was around three-year-old and the carcass appears to be at least two to three days old, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) K S Sengar said.

Forest officials also found marks of tiger paw on the body of leopard, which indicates probably a tiger and the leopard had a fight, he said.
The foresters also found pug marks in the vicinity and also proofs of its droppings in the area.
Sengar said nails and tooth of the leopard are found on its body which ruled out the poaching angle.
Samples of skin and other body parts (of leopard) have been sent for forensic examination, he added.