Leopard’s Failed Hunt: Peacock Clutched in Jaws, Falls on Electric Voltage
A female leopard in Madhya Pradesh met an unfortunate end after getting electrocuted while hunting a peacock near the Ordnance Factory in Itarsi. The incident happened around 5 PM on Friday when the leopard came in contact with a live electrical wire near the factory’s power house.
The forest team took immediate action, moving the leopard’s body to the Bagdev forest outpost for further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the leopard was in pursuit of the peacock when the tragic accident occurred.
Witnesses reported that the peacock, attempting to flee from the leopard, found itself cornered near the high-tension wire mesh surrounding the powerhouse. Despite its efforts to escape, the peacock was captured by the leopard, resulting in both animals being electrocuted.
Factory workers discovered the bodies and promptly notified the forest department. Forest officials, along with Ranger Mahendra Gaur and SDO Man Singh Maravi, arrived at the scene to assess the situation. They found the leopard’s body under an electric pole with the peacock still partially clenched in its jaws, and peacock feathers tangled in the high-tension wire above.
The wildlife officials have scheduled a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death for the leopard, after which it will be cremated. This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the risks wild animals face in human-dominated landscapes.
