Nuh, Haryana | September 5, 2026
The mysterious death of a three-year-old leopard in the Aravali foothills near Paldi village in Nuh has prompted wildlife authorities to order a forensic investigation. The young animal reportedly appeared healthy and had no visible external injuries, leaving officials uncertain about what caused its sudden death.
Carcass discovered near cemetery
The leopard was discovered on Friday morning when a local woman noticed its carcass near a cemetery at the foothills of the Aravalis. She alerted villagers, who subsequently informed the Forest and Wildlife departments.
Officials reached the location and recovered the carcass for examination.
No external injuries found
A veterinary board conducted a post-mortem examination. Significantly, officials said they could find no external injury marks on the leopard.
Samples of the animal’s viscera are now being sent to Bareilly for forensic and toxicological examination to determine whether poisoning or another toxic substance could have caused its death.
Officials are also examining other possibilities, including snakebite or envenomation by another animal, although none of these possibilities has yet been confirmed.
Eighth reported leopard death in a decade
The death adds to concerns over leopard mortality in the Gurgaon-Faridabad-Nuh Aravali landscape.
According to the report, this is the eighth recorded leopard fatality in the region during the past decade. Most of the previously documented deaths were linked to road accidents.
Among them was a female leopard killed in a vehicle collision on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road in August 2025. Other leopard deaths were recorded in Bandhwari in 2023, on the Western Peripheral Expressway in 2022, and along Pali Road in previous years.
Leopard numbers have risen in the Aravalis
The latest death assumes particular significance because the Aravali landscape continues to support an important leopard population.
A 2017 Wildlife Institute of India survey recorded 31 leopards in the south Haryana Aravalis, compared with eight in an earlier 2012 survey. Leopard movements are frequently reported around areas including Paldi, Padheni, Bhangvo and Bissar Akbarpur.
Surveillance to be stepped up
Ram Kumar Jangra, DFO (Wildlife), Gurgaon, said further action would be determined by the forensic findings and that surveillance in the area would be increased.
Wildlife expert Sunil Harsana has called for a thorough investigation, pointing to growing leopard numbers and livestock depredation in the Aravalis. He said causes such as poisoning or electrocution need to be examined when an animal is found dead without obvious external injuries.
For now, authorities are awaiting the laboratory findings. The forensic results could prove crucial in establishing whether the young leopard died from poisoning, envenomation, disease or some other cause.
Source credit: Based on reporting by The Times of India, “3-year-old leopard found dead in Aravalis, forensic probe ordered,” by Ipsita Pati, published September 5, 2026.
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