Overview

• A male leopard carcass was found on July 12 in a stone quarry at Karnataka’s BRT Tiger Reserve alongside dog and calf remains, prompting suspicion of poisoning and a registered case.
• Forest officials completed a post-mortem on the Karnataka leopard and dispatched tissue and viscera samples to Mysuru for forensic analysis as they await confirmation of foul play.
• This follows the June 26 deaths of a tigress and her four cubs in MM Hills, attributed to insecticide poisoning and leading to the suspension of forest officers and the arrest of three suspects.
• On July 13, a two-year-old female leopard was discovered dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Katarniaghat Sanctuary with severe head injuries and claw marks, likely inflicted during an inter-animal confrontation.
• Conservationists warn that expanding quarry operations, livestock grazing near forest edges and habitat fragmentation are intensifying human-wildlife conflicts, spurring calls for heightened surveillance and preventive measures.