Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji
Panaji, Apr 28: In a tragic incident, a five-year-old female black panther was killed after being hit by a speeding vehicle near Konem in the Priol-Ponda range during the early hours of Sunday. Taking serious note, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane has directed officials to conduct a detailed investigation.
According to forest department officials, the mishap occurred around 1.30 am when the panther — a melanistic variant of the leopard — was crossing the road, about 5 km away from the reserved forest boundaries.
The injured animal was found collapsed by the roadside, struggling to breathe. A purported video of the incident showed the panther panting in distress as locals gathered and alerted authorities.
"A speeding vehicle is suspected to have hit the panther. With the help of locals, the forest staff managed to move it into a cage and rushed it to a veterinary facility, but it succumbed to its injuries," an official said on condition of anonymity.
A postmortem conducted by a government veterinary surgeon at Usgaon revealed that the panther suffered a massive skull fracture and heavy internal bleeding, suspected to be the cause of death. While the detailed report is awaited, authorities have begun scanning CCTV footage in the area to trace the unidentified vehicle.
Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane directed the department to submit a comprehensive report. The Chief Wildlife Warden visited the spot, while experts from the National Forensic Science University collected evidence to assist in the forensic examination. A case has been registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The unfortunate death comes even as the ‘Status of Leopards in India’ report, released by the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2024, had estimated Goa’s leopard population at 77 in 2022, with nearly 26% residing outside protected areas.
The report also warned about increasing leopard mortalities due to snares set for wild pigs and collisions with vehicles and trains — a growing threat amid the rapid expansion of unmitigated linear infrastructure in the state.