A critically-injured leopard was rescued from a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district that was severely affected by Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor, officials said on Wednesday.

The leopard was believed to have suffered shrapnel injuries and had taken shelter in a natural cave in Namblan village near the Line of Control (LoC), the officials said.

They said a team from the wildlife protection department launched the rescue operation after being informed about the big cat's presence in the area and shifted it to a veterinary aid centre in Jammu for advanced treatment.

"The leopard was found in a weak condition due to prolonged starvation and had multiple injuries, including deep wounds on its limbs and inside its mouth," Amit Sharma, warden of the wildlife protection department, Rajouri-Poonch range, said.

He said the injuries are suspected to have been caused by the cross-border shelling.

"The leopard was shifted to Jammu but unfortunately, one of its forelimbs had to be amputated due to the severity of the injury," Sharma said.

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