Nagpur: In a tragic incident highlighting the growing threat of roadkill to wildlife, a male leopard aged around 3 to 4 years was found dead on Thursday, June 19, near National Highway 47 in the Paoni Forest Range under the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM).
The carcass was discovered just 30 meters from the Nagpur-Jabalpur highway, in Compartment No. 420 of the Paoni Beat. Initial examination by forest officials indicated multiple external injuries, suggesting that the leopard may have been fatally struck by a speeding vehicle during a road crossing.
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Soon after being informed, forest personnel from the Paoni Range arrived on the scene, followed by key wildlife authorities including Ajinkya Bhatkar (Associate Coordinator, WWF-India and Honorary Wildlife Warden, Nagpur), Udham Singh Yadav (Honorary Wildlife Warden and CWLW representative), and veterinarians Dr. Sujit Kolanghat from Gorewada Zoo and Dr. Samarth from Deolapar.
Senior officials from the Nagpur Forest Project Division were also present, including Divisional Manager A.R. Ghatekar, Assistant Managers S.T. Rathod and P.S. Khanande, and Range Forest Officers Sagar Bansod (Paoni – Territorial) and G.A. Patil (FDCM).
All procedures were followed as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling wild animal deaths. Further investigation is underway under the supervision of Assistant Manager S.T. Rathod.
The incident has once again raised concerns about wildlife safety in regions intersected by highways, especially at night, when animal movement is high and vehicle speed often goes unchecked.
