Two leopards found dead

The carcasses of two leopards who were found dead in Birpur forest of Dehra Dun on Monday . - Photo: Virender Singh Negi

Two leopards were found dead in Birpur Cantonment area here on Monday.

The carcasses of the young wildcats — a leopard and a leopardess — were noticed by a group of Army personnel who informed the State Forest Department.

According to Dehra Dun Divisional Forest Officer Meenakshi Joshi, preliminary investigations revealed that the deaths could have occurred due to electrocution as the leopards' footmarks on nearby trees suggest they might have tried to climb the trees and came in contact with an overhead high-tension wire.

However, the exact cause of death would be ascertained only after post-mortem, the officer said.