Leopard dies after being hit by vehicle on Gujarat highway

A fully-grown leopard died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Vadodara Halol state highway in Gujarat, a forest department official said Wednesday. The accident occurred late Tuesday night near Bhaniyaravillage under Waghodiya tehsil, around 15km from here, he said.

An unidentified vehicle hit the leopard when it was trying to cross the road, said Kartik Maharaja, deputy conservator of forest, Vadodara district. The big cat died on the spot, he said.

"The dead leopard was four years old and fully-grown. We have recovered a number plate from the spot and are investigating the case," he said.

The leopard died of internal injuries, the official said, citing a post-mortem report. The Jambughoda area in the neighbouring Panchmahal district has a large number of leopards, he said.