Leopard found dead after suspected territorial fight in Chittoor district

A young male leopard, suspected to be two to three years old, was found dead near Doddipalli village on the outskirts of Chittoor early on Sunday.

District Forest Officer G. Subburaj said the discovery followed a tense night for villagers, who reported hearing repeated distress calls from the animal echoing from the rocky stretches late on Saturday night. When forest staff finally located the animal in a narrow crevice, it was lying motionless, its hind leg shattered, the bone exposed, pointing to a devastating injury likely suffered earlier in the rugged terrain. “Given the circumstances, the possibility of poaching is completely ruled out,” he said.