The death of a leopardess in a tea estate near Valparai in Coimbatore district on Saturday could have been due to old age, said Forest Veterinary Officer A. Sukumar who autopsied the carcass.
He said the carnivore was aged between 8 and 10 and leopards in the wild live approximately 10 to 12 years.
“The animal’s claws were intact while its right upper canine had a crack. The teeth had eroded due to ageing. There were no external injuries and signs of poaching or attack by another animal,” said Dr. Sukumar.
