A post-mortem examination of the female leopard that was found dead in Manjumala hills, near Vandiperiyar, Idukki, has attributed its death to lungs and liver infection. The one-and-a-half-year-old leopard was found dead at Rajamudi on Monday.
Local residents said they had witnessed the presence of two leopards in the area. However, the Forest department is yet to confirm this, saying that there was no presence of leopards found in camera traps. A detailed inspection will be conducted in the Rajamudi area to ascertain the presence of leopards, said an official.
Kottayam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) N. Rajesh said that the lungs and liver of the leopard were fully infected. “The autopsy report revealed that parasitic infection model nodules had developed in its liver and lungs. The samples will be sent for expert inspection as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. The actual cause of infection can be ascertained only after sample verification,” said Mr. Rajesh.
According to sources, the leopard also suffered from throat infection. An official said its teeth had no issues and the animal has hunted hours before its death.
Sources said that in the recent leopard and tiger deaths, the autopsy reports revealed that the animals suffered from lung issues. Earlier last month, a tribesman, a resident of the Chikkanamkudy tribal colony in Mankulam, killed a leopard in self-defence. The autopsy of the animal found that its lungs were not functional.
Similarly, a tiger was trapped in a cage after it had killed 10 domestic cattle and injured three on October 5 at Neymakkad estate in Munnar. Later, the tiger was released to the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) at Thekkady and was later found drowned. The autopsy revealed that the lungs of the big cat were not fully functional and it was physically weak.
