A leopardess was found dead outside a reserve forest near Madukkarai in Coimbatore district on Sunday evening.
Frontline staff of the Forest Department spotted the carcass close to Bolampatti block-I reserve forest of the Madukkarai forest range on Sunday evening.
Forest veterinary officer A. Sukumar performed the autopsy on Tuesday in the presence of Divisional Forest Officer N. Jayaraj, other staff and representatives from non-governmental organisations, as per protocols of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The veterinarian said that the leopardess, aged around 15 months, could have died of injuries it suffered in a fight with another carnivore.
According to Mr. Jayaraj, the carcass had bite marks on its back, suggesting that it had a fight with another carnivore. He added that the claws and teeth of the feline were intact. The carcass was cremated.
