Ramban, Mar 17: Two female leopards were brutally poached in Ramnagar area of Udhampur district.
An FIR under relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act has been lodged against unknown poachers at Police Station Ramnagar.
Official sources said on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday a specific information was received regarding poaching of two leopardesses, (scheduled 1 wild fauna) by using improvised snares of clutch wires at village Balandh of Ramnagar was received by Department of Wild life Protection, Udhampur.
Acting swiftly, a team led by Wildlife Warden Jammu Vijay Kumar,SFS and Range Officer Wildlife Range Udhampur Rakesh Sharma immediately rushed to spot after conveying the matter to district administration and police authority On reaching the spot, a female leopard was found brutally killed.
The poachers had used local improvised clutch wires snare. Another leopard was severely injured by getting entangled in snare within the agricultural field of one Deewan Chand in village Balandh of Ramnagar.
Wildlife team after putting strenuous efforts, succeeded in freeing the wild animal. Efforts were made to shift the injured leopard for treatment but it succumbed. The carcasses of both leopards were taken in possession by the officials of Department of Wild life Protection.
An FIR under relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act,1972, was registered against unknown persons at Police Station Ramnagar.
A Police officer confirmed the incident and said inquest proceeding in the heinous Wildlife crime was initiated at Police Station Ramnagar.
Final disposal of both the carcasses shall be carried out as per extant statutory guidelines by way of complete incineration, the officials added.