A leopard was killed after being hit by an unknown vehicle in Telangana's Kamareddy district. The leopard was found dead on the morning of Thursday, September 15, on National Highway 44 in the Daggi forest area under Sadashivnagar mandal of Kamareddy district. According to the forest officials, the leopard appeared to be between one-and-a-half years to two years old. The vehicle seemed to have hit the leopard when it was crossing the road. The carcass was shifted to the district forest office for post-mortem.
Forest officials said they have registered a case and were trying to identify the vehicle. Kamareddy and adjoining Nizamabad district have reported a few similar incidents in the past. Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary spread over the two districts is known for a wide variety of life, including more than 60 leopards.
Earlier in February, a leopard cub was killed on the Kadapa-Chittoor highway near Rayachoti in Andhra Pradesh, in what appeared to be a hit-and-run accident. The incident happened when the cub, aged around one to two years, was trying to cross the highway. Forest Department officials said that the cub was likely to have been crossing the road to drink water, as there is a pond on the opposite side of the road. The cub appeared to have been unable to cross the metal divider on the highway as it was too high.
In September last year, a leopard was killed in a hit-and-run case in the Mahabubnagar district. A speeding vehicle hit the animal on National Highway 167 near Devarakadra town. Animal conservation activists have been demanding that the speed of vehicles on highways passing through forests be controlled to prevent such accidents. They have also suggested the construction of underpasses and bridges in forests for animals.
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