A case of leopard hunting has emerged in the Chaitma Range of Katghora Forest Division in the district. The carcass of a leopard was discovered in Raha forest on Wednesday, revealing missing body parts including nails and teeth. Upon receiving information, Chief Forest Conservator Bilaspur Prabhat Mishra, accompanied by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kumar Nishant and Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Chandrakant Tikaria, promptly arrived at the scene. The authorities are actively searching for poachers in the vicinity, with a dog squad team summoned from Raipur. The Forest Department was unsettled by the discovery of the leopard carcass at 11 am in Raha forest beat of Chaitma Range. Just the day before, an incident involving the hunting of four goats had been reported.

 

Sitaram Yadav, a resident of Dahiduggu locality in Patpara, has been identified as a suspect in the goat incident, though unrelated to the leopard hunting. Chief Forest Conservator Bilaspur Prabhat Mishra and DFO Kumar Nishant immediately initiated an investigation upon receiving information. The examination revealed missing nails, teeth and other body parts, confirming the leopard had been hunted. Senior officials in Raipur were notified, leading to a team of three veterinarians conducting a post-mortem examination. DFO Kumar Nishant stated that the leopard was poisoned to death. Efforts are underway to arrest the perpetrators, with multiple investigative teams deployed and a dog squad summoned from Raipur. Previous incidents of wildlife hunting and illegal tree cutting have been reported in the Chaitma range.