West Bengal forest officials find a dead leopard

Wildlife officials in West Bengal have found the body of a full-grown male leopard on the Trihana Tea Estate on the outskirts of Siliguri in Darjeeling District on Tuesday.

Sukna (West Bengal), Sept. 26 : Wildlife officials in West Bengal have found the body of a full-grown male leopard on the Trihana Tea Estate on the outskirts of Siliguri in Darjeeling District on Tuesday.

The carcass was brought to the Sukna forest office for an autopsy.

Officials said they had laid a trap to capture the leopard, but unfortunately, it was found dead.Forest range officer Kanchan Banerjee said that the trap had been laid three months ago.

This is the third leopard death reported from the region since May this year.

According to wildlife experts, leopards are being poached for their body parts.

The depletion of their habitat is also threatening their existence, forcing them to stray into human settlements.

According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India, at least 228 leopards have been killed since January 2006.

In 1997, India had about 7,300 leopards in the wild, but now conservationists say the number has reduced.

In South Africa, Cheetah Outreach program has been launched to save big cats.

At the Cheetah Outreach, captive bred cheetahs are used as ambassadors to save their wild brethren. One can get to see them, touch them, understand them and perhaps the only way to save them.

ANI