CHENNAI: Two leopard cubs were killed after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Devala–Pandalur highway near Gudalur in the Nilgiris on Friday morning.
The cubs, aged around three years, were crossing the road near the Richmount area under the Pandalur forest range of the Gudalur Forest Division, when they were struck by a speeding vehicle around 6.30 am.
The carcasses of the animals were taken to the Devala Forest Range office, where a post-mortem was done by Assistant Forest Veterinary Doctor Rajesh Kumar in the presence of senior forest department officials. A case has been registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and an investigation is underway to identify the vehicle involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, the forest department has appealed to motorists to drive cautiously through forest stretches and wildlife-sensitive zones, especially during early morning and night hours, to prevent accidents involving wild animals.
In another wildlife-related incident, a tiger cub died after slipping into a canal near Moyar dam in Masinagudi.
During a routine patrol, the forest staff spotted the carcass of the tiger cub floating in the canal of the dam. One of the staff descended into the dam using ropes and retrieved the carcass from the canal. A post-mortem was then carried out in accordance with the protocol laid out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Officials said that water was found inside the carcass of the tiger cub, indicating drowning as the likely cause of death. Preliminary findings suggest that the cub may have accidentally slipped into the canal while attempting to consume water.