A leopard, who had strayed into an agricultural field in the district, was found dead this morning, a senior forest official said.
The carcass of the leopard was found early today by the forest staff at a field in Konda village here.
According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Gaurav Choudhary, the villagers spotted the carnivore entering the agriculture field late last night following which they kept a watch on it and tipped-off forest officials.
However, when the forest officials arrived at the spot early this morning, they found the animal dead.
Choudhary denied that the animal was killed and said the exact cause of death will be known only after an autopsy.
As sources of water and food have dried up in the forests, it is possible that the leopard might have sneaked into the village looking for it. But as it remained confined in the area since last night, the animal might have died of starvation, he added.
