Three Panthers Including Two Cubs Die of Electrocution In Alwar After Power Line Breaks

The charred bodies of a female panther and two cubs were found by the forest department officials on Friday night following which they were sent for post-mortem. Initial investigation revealed that the big cats died due to electric shock after a power line in the area broke.

Alwar:The carcasses of three panthers in the Dehra district, including one female and two cubs have brought a lump in the throats of animal lovers in the region. Forest officials said that the animals died in the Amritwas village due to electrocution after a power line broke. They have demanded an immediate relocation of the lines.

Officials of the forest department rushed to the spot late on Friday night and found the charred bodies of the panthers, which were two to three days old, and sent it for post-mortem at the Naya Bas office of Alwar Forest Division.

The bodies were discovered after forest workers found a broken 11000 KV line in the region which is assumed to be the cause behind the electrocution of the felidaes. Alwar Forest Division Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rajendra Kumar Hooda said that the panthers came in contact with the broken line, due to which they died on the spot.

"Immediately after the accident, the power line was shifted. It is to be noted that this is a protected forest area and special care is taken to preserve it. Transformers have already been installed, and the area, too, is being monitored round the clock," he added.

Veterinarian Dr Anush Tomar said that the exact cause of death will only be known only after the postmortem report is received."The female panther's age ranged between six and seven while the cubs were six-months-old each. About two years ago in this area, in a similar incident, a female panther and two cubs had died due to poisoning," he added.