Forest dept to probe killing of leopard

, Jan 29: The Banaskantha district forest office has ordered an inquiry into the killing of a

at a village.

The leopard was allegedly killed by some people after they spotted it in a farmer's field at Talepura village in Banaskantha on Monday.

"We have ordered an inquiry and an offence has been registered against unidentified people after they attacked the big cat in a field located in the village on Monday with weapons and wooden sticks. The leopard received serious injuries and died in the hospital during treatment," district forest officer J V Vyas told PTI today.

Earlier, the locals and forest officials had made a failed attempt to cage the feline and in the process they were attacked by it, following which three persons, including two of the forest department, were injured. Later, a rescue team of forest department rushed there and while the officials were trying to cage the wild cat, the villagers attacked it in panic.

This is second incident of attack on a feline in Banaskantha. In 2010, a leopard was killed by locals at Tirth village of Vav taluka in Banaskantha after it had strayed into a residential area and attacked some people there.

PTI