BHUBANESWAR: A leopard was killed after being trapped in a snare laid for bushmeat hunting in Nilagiri forest range of Balasore wildlife division on Tuesday.
According to reports, the leopard strayed from the nearby Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary and entered the Swarnachuda reserve forest.
However, locals heard the animal’s growls on Tuesday morning and informed forest department officials, who reached the spot and found the big cat caught in a snare.
Despite efforts to rescue it, the leopard succumbed to its injuries, sources said.
DFO Prafulla Kumar Mallik said the leopard was an 8 to 10-year-old male.
A veterinary team has reached the spot to conduct a post-mortem examination, while a Joint Task Force (JTF) team is also on its way to the site for investigation.
Forest officials said initial investigation suggests that the leopard was killed in a trap laid by poachers for wild boar and bushmeat hunting.
A probe is underway to identify and apprehend those involved in the wildlife crime, officials said.
The incident, meanwhile, has sparked concerns about the threats big cats face in different parts of the state due to increased poaching and growing human-wildlife conflict.
In December 2025, a female leopard was allegedly poisoned to death in Tamra range of the Bonai forest division in Sundargarh district.
Similarly, another leopard was killed in January this year during a human-wildlife conflict in Narasinghpur West range of Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district.