A male leopard rescued from a residential area in Bhayandar in December last year and later released into Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was found dead in the Yeoor forest on Monday evening. Forest officials said the exact cause of death will be known after post-mortem and laboratory reports are received.

Critical final reports

SGNP Deputy Director Pradip Patil said preliminary findings rule out poaching, as all body parts of the animal were found intact. “The leopard’s whiskers, nails, claws and teeth were all intact. A post-mortem has been conducted, and samples have been sent for further examination. The final reports will determine the exact cause of death,” Patil said.