Villagers discovered the carcass of a leopard cub near a school in Bajrakot village under the Baibali section of Muzagad forest on Wednesday evening.
They immediately informed the Forest Department, prompting senior officials to rush to the spot.
DFO Himanshu Shekhar Mohanty and Muzagad Ranger Bimbadhar Sahu inspected the site. Officials estimated the cub’s age to be around one year. The discovery sparked concern and speculation among locals about the circumstances of the death.
According to preliminary observations, the cub appeared to have died due to illness. Forest officials noted the presence of worms in the animal’s excreta, suggesting a possible parasitic infection. However, they clarified that the exact cause will be confirmed only after the post-mortem report.
Children playing near the school first spotted the carcass when their ball rolled close to the site. Villagers later identified the animal as a tiger cub and alerted authorities. On Thursday morning, a Joint Task Force team from Bhubaneswar conducted the post-mortem in the presence of officials.
DFO Mohanty stated that the final report will establish the precise cause of death. He also emphasised that the Forest Department remains vigilant, though locals questioned how villagers discovered the carcass before routine patrol teams.
