Thane:
A pregnant leopardess died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle near Kashimira locality in Mira Bhayandar township of Maharashtra’s Thane district early on Sunday, an official said.
The incident occurred on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway shortly after Saturday midnight, he said.
“A female leopard was found grievously injured on the highway around 12.30 am on Sunday. The animal was brought to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) leopard rescue centre by the staff,” G Mallikarjun, chief conservator of forest of SGNP, said.
“However, the leopardess succumbed to injuries at 2.15 am while undergoing treatment. The post-mortem was conducted by a team of veterinarians in the afternoon, which confirmed that the death was caused due to a strong mechanical impact that led to multiple fractures and muscular damage,” he said.
The leopardess was found to be pregnant carrying three foetuses, the official said.