A critically injured leopard was rescued from the Nagaisuree tea estate in the Matiali block of Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday morning by forest department personnel, a day after the carcass of a leopard had been recovered from the same plantation.

After recovering the carcass, foresters said that the animal had died because of infighting.

The rescue of another leopard, which is injured, on Wednesday has strengthened the belief that the two animals had clashed violently. While one leopard succumbed to its injuries, the other is now struggling to battle for survival, the foresters said.

On Wednesday morning, local people informed the foresters about the injured leopard and a team from the Khunia forest range reached there and rescued it.

The animal was shifted to the nature interpretation centre in Lataguri for treatment, where it is currently undergoing treatment.

Bhaskar J V, the chief conservator of forests (wildlife, north), said: “An injured leopard has been rescued. It is suspected that the animal sustained injuries during a fight with another leopard.”

The foresters are closely monitoring the animal’s condition and have intensified surveillance in the surrounding forests.