A leopard, that attacked and injured several people died shortly after it was nabbed by locals near Sohagi Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’ Maharajganj on Tuesday.
A video of locals holding a leopard by its neck has surfaced online. On Wednesday, the animal’s postmortem was conducted at Gorakhpur Zoo’s hospital.
According to Dr. Yogesh Pratap Singh, Senior Veterinary Officer at the zoo, the leopard was elderly, weak, and had worn-down teeth. Preliminary findings suggest age-related frailty as a factor in its death, though further analysis is ongoing.
Sanctuary officials are investigating the incident and attempting to identify individuals seen handling the leopard in a viral video. The Forest Department is preparing to file a case against those involved.
The leopard was first spotted staggering near Chakdah Tola Lalpur village, in the Nautanwa police jurisdiction, on Tuesday. Some local youths pursued it, causing the animal to leap into the Rohin River. A few of them also jumped into the water and managed to capture the leopard, which appeared helpless due to illness.
Video footage from the scene shows several people restraining the animal by its neck, legs, and tail, while others filmed the incident. Tragically, the leopard died shortly after being captured.
District Forest Officer (DFO) Niranjan Surve confirmed that a team from the Forest Department responded to the situation. The leopard’s body was sent to Gorakhpur Zoo for postmortem, following which it was cremated.
“The postmortem report will be studied to determine the exact cause of death,” Surve stated. “Based on the findings, legal action will be initiated against those responsible for the incident.”
The case has sparked outrage, with calls for stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws and awareness campaigns to prevent such incidents in the future.
