Leopard Killed After Being Hit By Train in Nallamala Forest
The forest department conducted a postmortem on the carcass and later cremated it as per protocol
NANDYAL: A leopard has died after being hit by a goods train in the Nallamala forest area under Mahanandi mandal in Nandyal district. The incident occurred near the Chalama railway track late on Sunday night.
According to railway officials, the loco pilot sounded the horn after spotting the animal on the tracks, but the leopard failed to move away and was hit by the train.
Forest and railway department officials jointly inspected the spot on Monday. Officials said such incidents are frequent in the Nallamala forest region as wild animals often cross railway tracks during night.
The forest department conducted a postmortem on the carcass and later cremated it as per protocol. Police registered a case and began an investigation.
In recent days, leopard movement near human habitations has reportedly increased in the region. A leopard was recently spotted near a house in Sunnipenta while trying to catch a chicken, while two others had entered an ITI college campus earlier, triggering panic among residents.
Locals attributed the increasing movement of wild animals towards villages to scarcity of drinking water and food sources inside the Nallamala forest.
