Kandhamal: Forest officials have arrested a man for allegedly poisoning a leopard to death in Odisha’s Kandhamal district to avenge the killing of one of his cows last year.
The arrested has been identified as Pankaj Kanwar, a resident of Ringibadi village under Chakapada police limits.
According to sources, a leopard entered the cowshed of the accused and killed one of his cows on May 15, 2025. Pankaj then decided to kill the leopard. He allegedly placed meat laced with poison inside the cowshed as bait. The leopard reportedly returned, consumed the poisoned meat, and died a short distance away from the shed.
This incident came to light when Pankaj was detained for questioning. He was apprehended while standing at Kalaradadi near Bramanapada with the leopard skin on Saturday afternoon. The accused admitted that he had poisoned the big cat on May 15 last year, after it killed one of his cows, during interrogation, Phulbani Assistant Conservator of Forests Swetaleena Sahu informed.
Pankaj further stated that he along with a relative de-skinned the leopard’s carcass, buried its meat and bones in the forest and hung the leopard skin from iron nails to dry it. The remains of the animal were buried at the Brutanga reserve forest.
The co-accused relative has died, she added.
