A male leopard was killed late Thursday night on the highway connecting Chotila in Surendranagar to Ahmedabad. The incident happened 12 km away from Chotila. However, a forest official said panthers rarely die of road accidents.
"This is the first such incident reported in Surendranagar in several years. In all probability, the animal was hit by a speeding vehicle. It could be that the incident happened either late night or early in the morning," said the official.
The male leopard was believed to be around 7 to 8 years of age. The animal died at the spot. Officials said the animal may have come from the ravines close to Chotila. The department officials later disposed of the carcass.
Chotila was earlier in the news after a leopard entered a courtroom here. The leopard had been spotted in an abandoned railway yard close to the court compound and jumped the wall when chased. It had then got into the cupboard of a clerk of the judge and had been tranquilised after a six-hour operation. This had been the third incident of leopard straying into heavily populated urban areas.
