Pregnant Leopardess Found Dead Near Bengaluru Forest
Somashekar warned he will stage a protest if suitable action is not initiated to illegal stone quarrying in his Assembly seat
BENGALURU: A carcass of a pregnant leopardess, about 4 years, was discovered near Basavanapura forest area of Kaggalipura range of Bengaluru on December 27 and the necropsy on the carcass revealed the leopardess had 3 cubs in her.
The leopardess death is suspected to have been caused by a blast at a stone quarry site and the impact of the blast at the stone quarry was so intense that a piece of a boulder is suspected to have hit the pregnant leopardess leading to its death.
Meanwhile, expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former minister S.T. Somashekar claimed he came across the death of about 4 leopard deaths in his Assembly segment Yeshwanthpura of Bengaluru in recent days. He attributed the deaths of 4 leopards to blasts at the illegal stone quarry activities in vast acres of rocky areas under Chikkanahalli gram panchayat limits.
“I have alerted forest officials in this regard,” he said and stated “I seek action from the Director of Mines and Geology over illegal stone quarrying activities in his Assembly seat.”
Somashekar warned he will stage a protest if suitable action is not initiated to illegal stone quarrying in his Assembly seat.
Reacting to a statement by S.T. Somashekar over death of leopards, Minister of Forests and Environment Eshwar Khandre ordered a detailed probe to find out if any illegal stone quarrying activities have been conducted in forest areas and suitable action be initiated against erring persons, if any illegal stone quarrying is going on leading to death of leopards.
