Leopard electrocuted after it climbs a transformer

Male leopard electrocuted in Anantapura village after climbing transformer; officials confirm accidental death, vow to prevent future incidents.

A male leopard was electrocuted after it climbed a ground-level transformer in the P. Nagireddi Palli village of Kuderu mandal in Anantapur district on Tuesday morning.

The leopard had strayed into an agriculture field from nearby hillocks and drank water from a ditch before reaching the transformer, where it leapt onto the cement platform and came in contact with an uninsulated cable, leading to its death.

Some farmers, noticing the leopard’s carcass at the base of the transformer platform at noon, reported to officials. District Forest Officer (DFO) Vineet Kumar confirmed that a postmortem was conducted on the animal and it was a clear case of electrocution with no suspicion of hunting or poaching.

Mr. Kumar said that steps were being taken to detect the low-lying transformers and uninsulated power cables in the fields to prevent such incidents in the future.