Dibrugarh: An adult leopard was hit by a speeding vehicle at 2 No. Ghoronia in the Naharkatia area of Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Thursday evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident took place at around 6 pm.
“The leopard was crossing the road when a speeding vehicle suddenly hit it. The leopard died after some time,” said Monimanik Gogoi, a local resident.
He said, “We have informed the forest department about the matter. A police team came and took the dead leopard with them.”
“The leopard was killed due to overspeeding. It is a very unfortunate incident. The driver should be booked under the law for killing the animal,” he added.
Devojit Moran, an environmentalist, said, “Every year, leopards die while crossing roads due to speeding vehicles. Drivers should maintain a minimum speed while driving in forest areas.”
Leopards are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Leopard populations are currently threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and are declining in large parts of their global range.