On the day International Biological Diversity Day is celebrated, a tragedy in Karnataka's Mysuru gives a reality check to where we currently stand on preserving the natural habitats of the wildlife. Three leopards were found dead at a private farm near Belavadi Lake in Mysuru. The Karnataka Forest Department found the corpses of a female leopard and two cubs near the industrial area on Saturday.

The locals alerted the forest officials of the Mysuru Regional Forest Division and the Chief Wildlife Officer and National Tiger Conservation Authority were also looped in, post which the NTCA's standard operating procedure was taken. The DCF of Mysuru KC Prashanth Kumar said that the female leopard was aged about 4-5 years and the cubs were 8-10 months old, ANI reported.

Leopards found dead

The officials also found half-eaten carcass of a dog near the dead leopards and the forest department noted that insecticide had been sprayed on the carcass.

Probe ordered to determine cause of death

In order to determine the cause of death of the big cats, the authorities took water samples of the Belavadi Lake and the corpses and sent them to respective departments. The IAHVB Bengaluru and Forensic Science Lab (FSL) in Mysuru will determine the exact cause of the death of these leopards while the Mysuru Pollution Board will inspect the lake water for any contamination that could have led to the tragedy.

Also Read