An injured leopard, reportedly hit by an unidentified truck on Rajsamand–Udaipur four-lane highway near Nathdwara on Thursday night, died after attacking four forest guards who were attempting to rescue it.
According to Forest and Wildlife Department officials, the big cat was seen roaming along the road in an injured condition last night. It later moved into agricultural fields nearby. The rescue team could not initiate operations at the time as the leopard was hiding in the fields under the cover of darkness.
On Friday morning, the forest staff began searching for the animal and eventually spotted it in an injured state in a field later in the afternoon. When they attempted to rescue it, the leopard, agitated and in pain, attacked the team, injuring four forest guards.
After the attack, the leopard walked away but soon collapsed and died. The carcass was taken to a nearby nursery for a post-mortem examination, while the injured guards were admitted to Ananta Medical College Hospital.
The exact cause of the leopard’s death was not immediately known.