Leopard Poisoning Case: Man Arrested in Sundargarh for Killing Wild Cat

Bhubaneswar: A man has been arrested for allegedly poisoning a leopard to death in the Kusumadihi Reserve Forest under the Tamra Range of the Bonai Forest Division in Sundargarh district.

According to forest officials, the leopard died after consuming a bullock carcass that had been intentionally laced with poison. The bullock reportedly belonged to the accused, and the wild cat had killed it earlier, prompting the man’s retaliation.

Despite locals raising multiple complaints about the leopard’s movement in the area, the forest department had only deployed trap cameras to monitor the animal.

A team led by the Rourkela RCCF is currently investigating the incident. Bonai DFO Lalit Patra said the inquiry will determine the exact chain of events that led to the leopard’s death. The arrested individual is being interrogated, and authorities stated that further action will be taken based on the investigation’s outcome.