COIMBATORE: The forest department officials on Tuesday recovered the decomposed carcass of a sub-adult leopard at Kotagiri in the Nilgiris.

A team of staff from Kattabetta Forest Range were on routine patrol near Uyilatti slope, when they noticed a foul smell emanating from the area.

Upon inspection, they discovered the decomposed body of a leopard in a crevice between rocks. Senior forest officials rushed to the spot, and veterinarians conducted a post-mortem.

“The exact cause of the animal’s death will be known only upon receiving a post-mortem report. The leopard is likely to be aged around four years,” said an official.