Two leopards found dead in Uttaranchal

Dehra Dun, Nov 20 (UNI) Two leopards were found dead at different places in Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal.

However, forest officials ruled out poaching, as the carcass bore no wounds.

''There were no sign of wounds on the body and the primary tests by the local veterinary doctors have detected pneumonia as the reason for the death of the animals,'' Chief Wildlife Warden Srikant Chandola told UNI.

He informed that the age of the leopards, found in the jungle yesterday at Kanalichhina, was between one and a half to two years.

The secretion of the bodies has been sent to Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, for further investigations.

The possibility of poisoning was not ruled out. It was being investigated if any domestic animal was found dead in recent times, Mr Chandola said, adding stringent action would be taken against any person found guilty of poisoning the animals.

The carcasses of the leopards have been cremated, he said.

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