The Mystery of the Leopard Death in Mhow Range

The presence of wires in the vicinity, and fragments of leopard nails, has added complexity to the leopard death case.

By Ground report 30 Sep 2023

New Update

The lifeless body of a leopard was discovered on Wednesday morning in a field bordering the Mhow range of Indore, near the forest. Initially, forest department officials attributed the incident to a clash between wild animals. However, the presence of wires in the vicinity, with leopard hair entangled in them and fragments of leopard nails, has added complexity to the leopard death case.

No one has been able to determine how the leopard died, even after two days have passed. The lack of clarity stems from a conflict between the forest officials, as both the ranger and SDO are engrossed in conducting separate investigations. From day one, the rangers have attributed the leopard's death to a confrontation among wild animals, despite the post-mortem report failing to indicate any signs of conflict.

SDO Kailash Joshi asserts that

"No evidence related to the supposed conflict was found at the incident site during the investigation. The range has been requested to provide the initial day's report for further examination."

Furthermore, the statements from residents living nearby vary, further complicating the identification of the true cause of the leopard's demise.

Leopard Death in Mhow: Timeline

On Wednesday morning, the forest department was alerted to the discovery of a leopard's lifeless body on Aada Mountain within the Mhow forest area. Forest officials promptly arrived at the site upon receiving the information, commencing with a thorough investigation. The deceased leopard was recovered and expeditiously transferred to the Mhow Veterinary Hospital.

During this period, forest officers ascribed the leopard's demise to an interspecies clash, though no supporting evidence linking it to such a conflict was unearthed.

Whereas wildlife experts say that

"In accordance with the regulations, the team of doctors must conduct the post-mortem procedure on-site to ensure the integrity of the evidence and facts pertaining to the incident. However, the ranger overlooked this requirement and sent the leopard's body to the hospital for post-mortem."

Saving Someone?

Sources have reported that during a routine inspection on Wednesday, the Range Assistant discovered a leopard carcass in room 69 of Baragonda. The incident occurred at the Girgaya farmhouse premises. Following the post-mortem, the farmhouse operator, Mahendra Chaudhary, provided a statement which lacked clarity, leading to suspicions. Additionally, Mhow Range is allegedly attempting to suppress the entire matter, leading the forest officer to highlight a narrative of wildlife conflict since the beginning.