TUMKUR: A leopardess was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Devarayanadurga Reserve Forests, Tumkur on Sunday.
Sources in the Forest Department said that the animal aged about 8 years was caught in a trap about a week ago and had escaped the notice of people. Forest officials suspected that the trap might have been laid by miscreants to hunt wild boars and other animals.
The officials recovered the corpse and burnt it. DCF Vijayakumar informed that Range Forest Officer Chinnappa has been appointed to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Killer tusker in Gubbi
Meanwhile, the DCF said that two tuskers which strayed into human habitats in the district have been sighted at a forest near Gubbi on Sunday evening. One of the tuskers has a notorious record of killing seven people, including a farmer, in Tumkur district, he informed.
He said that steps have been taken to tranquillise the animals in case they go wild, once the approval is given by the wild life PCCF.