Speeding vehicle runs over male leopard in Ramanagara

Officials blame the accident on poor visibility and over-speeding

A speeding vehicle ran over and killed a male leopard on the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in Ramanagara taluk in the early hours of Wednesday.

Forest officials suspect the incident may have happened between 5:30 am and 6:30 am.

A senior forest official from Ramanagara told DH that areas around Handigondi and Ramadevara Betta have a salubrious population of leopards. “They keep crossing the road in that stretch,” an official said. “The vehicle may have run over the wild cat due to poor visibility and over-speeding. We are investigating further.”

Veterinary officials who conducted the autopsy put down the male cat's age at eight to nine months. “The vehicle may have run over the leopard’s hind limb, killing the animal on the spot,” the official said.

Forest officials have registered a case under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act and are investigating further to trace the vehicle. They said a similar killing of a leopard was reported three years ago a few kilometres away from the site of the latest mishap.

Highway work and Covid restrictions may have saved the animals from deadly clashes with motor vehicles all these months, but officials said the beasts are at risk once again with restrictions gone and traffic back in full flow.

Check out the latest videos from DH: