The mutilated carcass of a leopard was found on NH27 near Bagdogra of Siliguri sub-division early on Friday morning.

Foresters who visited the spot suspect that the animal died after it was mowed down by some vehicle.

Around 6am, workers of a tea estate, adjacent to the highway, spotted the carcass while on way to the plantations to join duties.

Soon, foresters at the Bagdogra range (of Kurseong forest division) rushed to the spot and recovered the carcass. “It seems when the animal was trying to cross the highway from the tea estate it got crushed under the wheels of a speeding vehicle. The leopard died on the spot,” said a forest official.

According to him, the deceased was a male leopard and was around one-year-old. “The carcass has been sent to the Bengal Safari Park for autopsy,” the forester added.

The incident has left wildlife conservationists perturbed.

“The state forest department should find out whether there are more leopards in the vicinity and alert locals. Signage should be placed on that stretch of the highway so that vehicles do not overspeed to curb such accidents,” said Animesh Bose, a wildlife conservationist in Siliguri.