Maharashtra: Leopard without claws and jaws found dead in Karad, probe on

The Indian Express , Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Correspondent : Chandan Haygunde
A leopard was found dead with its claws and jaws missing near Vasant Gadh fort in Karad taluka of Satara district of Maharashtra on Monday. The state forest department has initiated probe in this case after receiving information from wild life warden Rohan Bhate. Medical reports revealed that this leopard is a male of age around six to seven years. Investigation is on to confirm the cause of death.

“On receiving the information that a leopard is lying dead for the last two weeks near Vasant Gadh fort, I rushed to the spot today afternoon. I found a dead leopard, but all four claws, the lower as well as the upper jawas were missing. It was suspicious. So I informed the forest department,” said Bhate.

Soon, a team of forest department comprising assistant conservator of forest (ACF) M V Mule, range forest officer Baba Shinde reached the spot. The dog squad of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve was called for investigation. Also, the veterinary doctor was pressed into service for conducting the postmortem of the leopard. Forest officials said that from the spot where leopard was found dead, the sniffer dogs took them some distance away at a location where local villagers dumped their dead animals.

Meanwhile, about two weeks before on November 11, the state forest department had arrested a shepherd Nathu Genba Tamkar (60) of Ranjne vilage in Velhe taluka of Pune district as a bag carrying four leopard claws and teeth was recovered from his residence. The dead body of this leopard was found in the near by jungle area. Postmortem had revealed that leopard died due to poisoning.

Investigation revealed that Tamkar was upset after some wild animal, possibly a leopard or wild dogs, killed his goat a few days before. So he poisoned the goat body with a chemical and left it in the forest. A leopard died after eating it.

Tamkar chopped the paws and teeth of the leopard and kept it at his residence. Forest officials said there was a belief among elderly people in the region that if claws, bones and teeth of leopard are rubbed on human joints, it cures ailments like spondylitis. Tamkar claimed the he chopped the claws and teeth for the same purpose. Forest officials checked calls made from Tamkar’s cell phone to know if he was in contact with any racketeers involved in poaching. But nothing significant was found during investigation.

Forest department is now probing whether the death of a leopard found in Vasant Gadh is similarly caused by poisoning or is a case natural death. “It is possible that the leopard died naturally and then the body started decaying. Animals like dogs and also insects may have eaten the leopard’s paws and jaws. But we are also probing all angles. We are waiting for the postmortem report to understand the cause of death,” said Mule.

Meanwhile, the forest department have also got a video of a local man playing with a leopard cub. “We are investigating this video. Soon we would questioning the person seen playing with the leopard cub,” said Mule.

Bhate said, “The possibility of hunting and movement of poachers cannot be ruled out. So proper investigation is expected. Also, as per a government regulation, taking photographs and videos with wild animals like leopards that are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.”

According to Jeet Singh, Chief Conservator of Forest (Territorial) Pune, majority of the case of leopard deaths in the state are of retaliatory nature, where in the villagers have tried to take revenge of the losses caused due to attacks by leopards.

Pune based wildlife and ecology researcher Vidya Athreya, said, “There are several superstitious beliefs in Maharashtra about the claws, canines and even urine of leopards. And there is need to create awareness about these issues.”

As per records obtained from the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), between January and mid of November 2015, Maharashtra has seen 38 death of leopards. Of which retaliatory killing is considered to be an important factor in the death of over 15 who have been found dead. Deaths of over 11 of them have occurred after being hit by trains or vehicles.

 
SOURCE : http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/maharashtra-leopard-without-claws-and-jaws-found-dead-in-karad-probe-on/
 


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