Angul, Feb. 7: A leopard was hit by a speeding vehicle and died last night on Boinda-Athmallick state highway here.
The incident took place in the Hatidhara reserve forestthrough which the road passes. Divisional officer of the Athmallick forest S. K. Dalai said: "Efforts are on to find the vehicle that hit the leopard."
An environmentalist said the reserveforest should be included into the Satkosia wildlife sanctuary as the forest is nearby.
"The dead leopard sneaked out of the Satkosia sanctuary, which isadjacent to the reserve forest. Vehicles rush through the 7-km long road that passes through this dense forest. Despite it being an animal corridor, the drivers flout the rules. It is high time the government included thereserve forest into the Satkoisia sanctuary," said honorary Angul wildlife warden P.K. Behera.
Regional chief conservator of forest AnupNayaksaid he wouldwrite to the state highway authorities asking them to take steps to control the speed of all vehicles in this section.
Earlier, another leopard had been hit by a running train near Bhimkhoj between Hatibari and Jujomura railway stations in Sambalpur district on January 23. The leopard came in front of the train while trying to cross the tracks.
The deaths of the two leopards in quick succession have taken place at a time when the central and state government officials are at loggerheads over the tiger population in the state.
The recent national tiger census results, released on January 20, have put the number oftigersin the state at 28 against the previous count of 192in 2004. The state government has written to the NationalTiger Conservation Authority, demanding a re-examination of the census. While the state government has alleged that the figures have been released prematurely, the Centre has stuck to its stand.
In 2012, a speeding train had mowed down five elephants near Subalaya in Ganjam district, following which the wildlife authorities entered into an understanding with the Indian Railways to reduce the trains' speed while passing through the known elephant habitats.
