The Range Forrest Office (RFO) in Vavuniya has raided a house in Kurumankadu, in a joint operation with Vavuniya police, where leopard cubs had been reportedly put up for sale.
The owners of the house have fled the area by the time of the raid, a police officer said. The raid was carried out following a tip-off received by the RFO, last afternoon.
RFO officer M.D.L. Lionel told Ada Derana that a dead leopard cub was found inside a lavatory of the house. “Its neck was tied to a pole. It was dead at the time we found. The police are on the lookout to arrest the suspects,” he added.
Veterinary Dr. B. Giridharan of the RFO Vavuniya North who conducted the autopsy of the leopard, in his report has said that lack of food and water caused the death.
The leopard is a protected species in Sri Lanka. According to the Flora and Fauna Act it is illegal for any person to keep a leopard in his possession. This animal is unique to Sri Lanka and is an endangered species.
