Leopardess injured in Chamundi Hill hit-and-run case dies at Bannerghatta Rehab Centre

Mysore/Mysuru: An 11-year-old leopardess, which was seriously injured in a suspected hit-and-run incident atop the fog-covered Chamundi Hill on the morning of Dec. 28 and  later shifted to Bannerghatta Rehabilitation Centre in Bengaluru for treatment, succumbed to injuries on Jan. 5 night.

The spinal cord of the feline was broken when the unidentified vehicle had run over it. Residents of the hill, who saw the leopardess groaning in pain after it had dragged itself from the road towards Devikere atop the Hill, was rescued by the Forest Department personnel after tranquillising it in a more than two-hour-long operation.

After being rescued, the leopardess was examined by Veterinarian Dr. D.N. Nagaraju, who noticed that the feline was unable to move its hind legs and shifted it to Bannerghatta Rehabilitation Centre. 

Veterinarian Dr. V. Umashankar of Bannerghatta Rehab Centre, who examined the injured leopardess on Dec. 28 afternoon, got scanning and X-Ray done to the hind portion of the leopardess and found that a few vertebrae in the spinal cord had shattered due to the accident, following which the leopardess was administered intravenous (IV) fluids. But the leopardess, unable to recover, succumbed on Tuesday night, Dr. Umashankar said.

Post-mortem was conducted and the leopardess was cremated at Bannerghatta in the presence of Director Vanashri and other officials, it is learnt.