Bhubaneswar: A male leopard died on Tuesday after being caught in a snare allegedly set by poachers for bushmeat hunting in Kathagochhi forest under Nilagiri forest range of Balasore wildlife division in Odisha.
Forest officials said the animal, estimated to be 8-10 years old, had strayed from nearby Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary into Swarnachuda reserve forest. Locals heard its growls early in the morning and alerted the Forest department. Upon arriving, officials found the big cat entangled in the snare.
Despite rescue efforts, the leopard succumbed to its injuries.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prafulla Kumar Mallik confirmed the details, adding that a veterinary team has arrived at the site for a postmortem examina
tion. A Joint Task Force (JTF) team is also en route to investigate the incident. Initial probes point to a trap laid specifically for wild boar and other bushmeat, a common practice in the region that often claims unintended victims. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the poachers.
This latest incident has sparked concerns over the vulnerability of big cats in Odisha amid rising poaching activities and escalating human-wildlife conflict. In December 2025, a juvenile female leopard was poisoned to death in Kusumadihi Reserve Forest under the Tamra range of Bonai forest division in Sundargarh district. A villager was arrested in connection with the case. The leopard had allegedly killed his cattle.
Similarly, in January 2026, a leopard was killed in a late-night confrontation at a farmhouse in Anantprasad village under the Narasinghpur West range of Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district. The animal entered the premises, attacked a 28-year-old man, who fought back in self-defence with a knife, resulting in the leopard’s death from stab wounds. The youth sustained serious injuries and was hospitalised.