Three poachers have been arrested for killing a leopard in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in the district and removing its claws and teeth, forest department personnel said.
They said the highly decomposed carcass of the animal was found on February 21 in an elephant trench. Veterinary doctors examined it and concluded it had been poisoned, they said.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the three persons yesterday.
The trio told police during questioning they had noticed the leopard killing a goat and leaving it half eaten some days back. They applied a poisonous mixture over its carcass,waited at a distance and then saw the feline come back again to eat the remains.
It soon collapsed, fell into the nearby trench and died, after which they removed the claws and teeth, the poachers said.
