A three-year-old leopard was run over by a goods train on the Katni-Bilaspur railway section, 2km from the Ghunghuti Railway Station on Monday night, police said. The carcass was sent for necropsy.
The leopard was mowed down by a speeding train near Ghunghuti railway station here, a forest official said on Tuesday. The incident took place in the wee hours at about two kms from Ghunghuti railway station in the district.
“The Railway officials informed us about the incident that a three year old leopard was hit by a train near Ghunghuti railway station,” Chief Conservator of Forest Department - Shahdol Range, Prashant Kumar said.
The official further said he was on his way to reach the site and the post mortem would be conducted to know the exact cause behind the death. “last rites would be performed after the post mortem,” he added.
The track on this railway section has dense forest on both sides. Besides, its boundary is adjacent to the Bandhavgarh National Park. On several occasions, wild animals come under trains. Recently, a tiger and a 'chital' were run over by trains.
This is the first feline death reported in the year 2017. MP lost 30 tigers in 2016, the highest in the country, with Pench and Kanha alone accounting for over 20 deaths.
Many of the deaths last year were reported due to rail or road accidents. Wildlife activists off and then allege forest department’s negligence for the increasing feline deaths in the State.