IDUKKI: The leopard killed by a tribesman at Mankulam in Idukki for self-defence was not healthy, said the primary postmortem report. The incident occurred around 7am on Saturday when the animal attacked Gopalan, a resident of the Chikkanam Kudi tribal colony in Mankulam.
Assistant forest veterinary surgeon Dr Nisha Raichel told TOI that the deceased female leopard was around eight years old. “The postmortem revealed that the animal was ill and unable to hunt or run. The leopard’s lungs were damaged and protruding. A tooth had also fallen,” said Dr Raichel.
“The leopard’s ill health saved the tribesman’s life, and the animal was easily killed. If it was a healthy leopard, the attack would have been powerful,” she said, continuing, “Due to its ill health, the animal roamed around the forest-side of the village and feasted on the villagers’ livestock.”
The postmortem of the animal was held at Mankulam on Sunday, following the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Mankulam divisional forest officer G Jayachandran told TOI that the primary postmortem report stated that the hacking and hitting resulted in the leopard’s death. “A detailed report will be submitted to the NTCA. The probe revealed that the man killed the animal in self-defence. Therefore, no case was registered against him,” said the official.
“Gopalan’s health is slowly improving. The forest department provided primary assistance of Rs 5,000 to the family. The department will provide all medical assistance and support to the family,” said Jayachandran.
Man-animal conflict is a major issue in the forest border village in Mankulam. Gopalan was on the way to visit his brother at the tribal settlement when the animal attacked him. Gopalan fell on the road after the leopard pounced and mauled him. He counterattacked the animal with a machete-like weapon.
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