A six-year-old leopard [1] died after being caught in a steel-cable snare trap on agricultural land in Kerala's Kannur district.
The incident highlights the ongoing conflict between wildlife and farmers in India, where illegal traps intended for crop-raiding animals often kill protected species.
The leopard was trapped on the agricultural land of a man named Ramakrishnan in KPR Nagar, Maloor [2, 3]. The farmer had set the snare specifically to catch wild boars that were raiding his crops [3]. The leopard became an unintended victim of the device [3].
Forest officials responded to the scene and attempted to rescue the animal. Initial reports indicated that officials planned to tranquilize the leopard to assess its health before deciding whether to release it [1]. However, the animal later died from internal injuries sustained during the trapping and subsequent rescue attempts [1].
The leopard was approximately six years old [1]. The incident occurred on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2024 [1], in the Maloor area of the Kannur district [2].
Local authorities have noted the dangers of using snare traps in regions where leopards and other large carnivores roam. While farmers seek to protect their livelihoods from wild boars, the use of non-selective traps poses a significant threat to biodiversity, often leading to the death of animals that are legally protected under national law.
“The leopard was caught in a steel-cable snare trap that a farmer had set to catch wild boars”
This event underscores the systemic failure of crop-protection measures in human-wildlife interface zones. Because snare traps are non-selective, they create a high risk of 'bycatch' for endangered or protected species, turning a local agricultural dispute into a conservation loss.
