A leopard, which had strayed in a village of Gujarat's Botad district from the neighbouring Gir wildlife sanctuary, was beaten to death with sticks and stones by the villagers after it killed a cow, a wildlife official said on Saturday.
The incident was even filmed and the video was widely circulated through regional TV channels on Saturday following which the forest department registered an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act. No arrest has been made so far.
According to Deputy Conservator of Forest A.E. Samuel, the leopard must have entered Rojmal village in search of prey and killed a cow following which the cowherd raised an alarm, prompting the villagers to surround the animal and beat it with sticks and stones till it died.
The forest officials are in possession of the video in which the entire incident has been captured. The leopard, an adult male, had not attacked any humans.
--IANS
desai/vd
