JAIPUR: In a major blow to wildlife, three leopards were allegedly killed by the poachers near the forest area of Alwar adjoining the Sariska Tiger Reserve, While the forest department recovered the bodies of two big cats, villagers claimed there were three leopards.
A village youth near Jhir area of Alwar district saw the carcass of a leopard in the bushes. He immediately took the photo and sent it to the forest officials, but the forest department team could not find the carcass. Finally, on Wednesday, the villagers found the carcass of the leopard.
Following this, on Thursday teams of Sariska and Alwar forest division reached the spot. The leopards recovered are about one and a half years old. A villager who wished not to be named said, “The animals are suspected to have died due to poisoning as half-eaten cattle carcass was also found nearby. The carcass of one more leopard is missing and there were three leopards.”
Many claimed poachers hid the carcases and could not succeed in taking them after locals came to know about the incident. “The poachers hid three carcass. The department should search one more body,” said a villager.
Forest department will carry out the post-mortem on Friday. The Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), where a first-of-its-kind tiger translocation program was taken up in 2008 at the beheest of then prime minister Manmohan Singh, is once again proving to be an unsafe habitat for the big cats.
Meanwhile, over 12 demoiselle cranes were found dead near Kojeri Nadi at Delasar village in Lathi area of Jaisalmer district on Thursday.
A village youth near Jhir area of Alwar district saw the carcass of a leopard in the bushes. He immediately took the photo and sent it to the forest officials, but the forest department team could not find the carcass. Finally, on Wednesday, the villagers found the carcass of the leopard.
Following this, on Thursday teams of Sariska and Alwar forest division reached the spot. The leopards recovered are about one and a half years old. A villager who wished not to be named said, “The animals are suspected to have died due to poisoning as half-eaten cattle carcass was also found nearby. The carcass of one more leopard is missing and there were three leopards.”
Many claimed poachers hid the carcases and could not succeed in taking them after locals came to know about the incident. “The poachers hid three carcass. The department should search one more body,” said a villager.
Forest department will carry out the post-mortem on Friday. The Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), where a first-of-its-kind tiger translocation program was taken up in 2008 at the beheest of then prime minister Manmohan Singh, is once again proving to be an unsafe habitat for the big cats.
Meanwhile, over 12 demoiselle cranes were found dead near Kojeri Nadi at Delasar village in Lathi area of Jaisalmer district on Thursday.
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