Junagadh: A leopardess and its cub died a tragic death owing to reportedly getting drowned in the water filled pipe line of a canal of Sabli irrigation project near Magaharvada village under Keshod taluka of Junagadh district in the vicinity of Gir forests.

However the possibility of these beasts being killed by locals, who were quite fearful of the movement of beasts, has also not been ruled out.

CCF of Junagadh Sanjya Mehta said that the bodies of an 8 year old female leopard and its around one and a half year old cub were found in the water filled pipe this morning. They would have drowned last night and the bodies recovered have been sent for post mortem in Amrapur animal care center.

The pipe line from which the bodies were recovered was over half a km long and 10 to 12 ft in depth.

Interestingly, to nab the beasts who were also seen near close-by villages, several cages were also put by the forest department.

To a query about the possibility of the beasts being killed and thrown in the pipe by afraid locals, the CCF said that the reason of the death of the beasts would be ascertained only after the post mortem. Its report was yet to come, he said not ruling out the possibility completely.

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