VILLUPURAM: A leopard was found dead on the Chennai-Trichy National Highway near Vikravandi toll plaza in Villupuram district after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to sources, a lorry driver who was passing through the Varaha river bridge noticed the carcass of a leopard with severe head injuries and informed the toll plaza staff. The staff then alerted the forest and police departments.
A team led by Villupuram Forest Range Officer Aruljothi, reached the spot, recovered the carcass, and sent it for post-mortem.
Forest officials said the leopard, a male aged about three years, appeared to have been hit by a vehicle while crossing the bridge. “There are no forest areas nearby, so we are investigating how the animal came to this location."
Historian and writer K Senguttuvan from Villupuram said that the presence of a leopard in the area was unusual. “The former South Arcot district, which included Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, and Kallakurichi, was once rich in forests. British records from 1878 mention tigers, lions, leopards, and elephants in the Gingee and Tiruvannamalai divisions, which then covered about 42,000 acres of forest. However, with the reduction of forest cover, the movement of wild animals has declined sharply,” he said.
He added that the 1967 South Arcot District Gazette mentioned forest areas near Villupuram, 1,062 acres in Udayanatham and 480 acres in Melakondai, but no wildlife presence. He also urged for a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Local residents from Vikravandi said that in recent months, livestock deaths caused by an unidentified animal had been reported in Kandasamypuram, Gingee, Kootteripattu, Tindivanam, and surrounding areas, causing concern among farmers. They now suspect the same leopard might have been responsible. Forest officials said the animal was not linked to recent livestock killings, as investigations had shown those were caused by stray dogs.