Mutilated body of leopard found in Jalpaiguri

Jalpaiguri: The mutilated body of an adult leopard was discovered on Thursday in the West Batabari area of Bidhannagar Gram Panchayat (GP) in the Meteli Block of Jalpaiguri. Local residents who found the leopard’s mutilated body immediately informed the Forest department’s Khunia Squad.

According to local sources, residents spotted the leopard lying in an open area near the Batabari Tea Plantation on Thursday morning. The leopard had injuries on its stomach and head.

Locals speculate that the leopard had been in the tea garden. Prior to this incident, leopards were known to visit the area during the night, preying on goats and chickens. However, the discovery of the body on Thursday morning has raised questions among the residents.

Subsequently, the Forest department recovered the carcass of the leopard and conducted a post-mortem examination.

Sajal Kumar Dey, the range officer of the Khunia Squad, stated: “The initial assumption was that the leopard died due to infighting. The final conclusion will be determined after the autopsy report.”