Hunsur: A five-year-old leopard was found dead after getting caught in a snare laid outside a farm in Survey No. 59 at Muddanahalli village abutting Nagarahole Reserve Forest on Hunsur-Gonikoppa Road yesterday.

The snare was laid near the fence of the farm and the leopard which got caught in the snare tried to free itself in vain. But during its struggle, the snare began to tighten around its lower abdomen and the more it struggled the more the snare tightened around its abdomen killing it. The leopard is suspected to have died on Saturday night or early Sunday morning. 

Villagers, who saw the leopard caught in the snare on Sunday morning, informed the Forest Department officials, who rushed to the spot only to see the leopard dead.

Nagarahole Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Mahesh Kumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Satish, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Hanumantharaju, Wildlife Warder Kruthika Alanahalli and Tiger Conservation Authority Member Venkatanaidu visited the spot.

Veterinarian Dr. Mujeeb Rehman conducted post-mortem and the dead leopard was cremated. A case has been registered under Wildlife Protection Act.

Meanwhile, wildlife activists have expressed concern over the increase in practice of laying snares to trap wild animals such as wild boars, deer etc. for meat which was also leading to death of other wild animals.