Leopard found dead with gunshot wound

PITHORAGARH: A seven-year-old male leopard was found shot dead on Ghat in Champawat-Almora road in Champawat district on Sunday.Range officer, Lohaghat, K N Pant, said that local residents spotted the dead animal and informed the forest department. Pant said that an FIR would be filed after the department receives the post-mortem report on Monday.D K Chand, veterinarian who conducted the post-mortem, told TOI, “The eight-feet-long animal had a bullet injury in its stomach. It died due to excessive bleeding.”A K Gupta, divisional forest officer, Champawat, said, “The forest department is talking to villagers and shopkeepers in the area. We will look for those who have firearms in the region.” Earlier, a young male leopard was found dead on a road in Bageshwar district on Saturday. A tiger was found dead in the Dhikala zone of Corbett last week.