After a lapse of seven months, the forest authorities on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, said they have identified the leopard that killed six-year old girl Lakshita, who was trekking up to Tirumala along with her family in August last year.
According to DFO G. Satishkumar Reddy, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) after a detailed study and matching of the blood and DNA samples found on the body of the dead girl in their eighty page report, arrived at a conclusion that the leopard which is already housed in Sri Venkateswara zoo park at Tirupati under the permanent captive management is behind the gruesome incident.
Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy said that six leopards were captured in the aftermath of the ghastly incident that had sent shock waves across the country and the identified one is fourth among the captured beasts.
While four of them were let out into the wild some 200 km away from Tirupati, two were retained at the zoo on suspicion as they lacked their canine teeth which deprived them from natural hunting.
He asserted that the killer leopard will be retained at the zoo on a permanent basis.
