Jamshedpur: An aged male leopard at the Tata Zoological Park in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur died after drowning in the flood waters due to heavy rains in the district on Saturday, officials said. The incident took place on August 20 evening when the staff at the zoological park released the male leopard named Mithun and a female leopard Hema in the display area after having their meals so that they could climb a tree or move to a higher safer place amid rising flood waters due to continuous rain in Lohanagari.
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While the female leopard Hema climbed a tree, Mithun the male leopard struggled to move to a safer location due to old age and drowned to death after swimming for a while. On receiving the information, a rescue team reached the spot and retrieved the body on Saturday. Mithun the male leopard was born in August 2005.
It was brought to Tata Steel Zoological Park in Jamshedpur from Jaldapara Rescue Centre in West Bengal in November 2007. At present, the female leopard Hema is safe and has been kept under observation. Pertinently, around 2,500 people living in the southern part of Jharkhand were evacuated to safer places as low-lying areas were inundated by overflowing rivers and dams following incessant rain since Friday night, officials said. Though the deep depression that brought heavy rainfall has weakened, parts of the state recorded light to moderate rain on Sunday.
