Leopard Found Dead in Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Officials Suspect Territorial Fight
Bettiah/Patna: The body of a leopard was discovered on Tuesday in the Madanpur forest area of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), Bihar’s only tiger reserve, with initial findings suggesting the animal died following a territorial clash.
Forest officials said signs of a fight were evident at the site, with deep scratch marks found on the leopard’s body. Dr Neshamani K, conservator of forests and area director of VTR, stated, “It is likely that the leopard died two days ago. A larger leopard attacked a younger one that had come to drink water by the riverbank, leading to its death.”
The discovery was made by a forest department patrolling team, which immediately alerted senior officials. A team led by divisional forest officer Piyush Kumar Barnwal arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Following preliminary investigations, authorities concluded that the leopard likely died due to an intra-species fight.
The body was sent for postmortem on Tuesday in the presence of senior officials. The forest department has launched an inquiry to confirm the cause of death and rule out any external factors. Officials have also stepped up patrolling and installed additional camera traps in the reserve to monitor wildlife movements and prevent similar incidents.
Valmiki Tiger Reserve, spanning 899 square kilometers, is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and rare birds. According to forest department data, the leopard population in VTR has surged from 10–12 in 2018 to over 120, while the number of tigers has risen to around 54.
