The forest department found a leopard carcass in the protected forest area of Nayagarh district of Odisha on Wednesday.

Officials suspect that the animal might have died after coming in contact with an electric trap laid to poach wild boars.

The carcass of the leopard was found in the Khandapada forest division. The department officials collected the samples and sent them to the department of veterinary services to ascertain the exact cause and nature of the death.

The locals used to put up electric wires around their cultivated land to protect their agricultural produce from the attack of wild animals. They also used electrical wires to kill wild animals like wild boars.

The death of the leopard has raised concern among environmentalists. According to the forest, environment and climate change department, 34 leopards and three Bengal Tigers died in the state because of various reasons from 2019 to 2024.

Of the 34 leopards killed, 17 were poached and three died after being electrocuted. Similarly, three leopards died in road accidents, one in a train accident and three due to diseases. While four leopards died due to natural causes, three others died due to other reasons. Odisha has 696 leopards as per the 2024 Odisha leopard estimation.