Karwar: A young female leopard was killed near Yana Cross in Kumta taluk on Kumta-Sirsi state highway on Sunday morning. This is the second animal to have died in April — taking the number of leopard deaths in Karnataka to nine in the last four months.

According to sources, the animal was hit by a speeding vehicle at 3.30 am and the highway patrol police found its carcass at 4.30 am. Police alerted the Kathagal range forest officer and officials of senior forest department visited the spot and the body was sent for postmortem.

According to DCF Vasant Reddy, the female leopard was about 3-4 years old and was killed in a hit and run case. He said that the postmortem was held on Sunday morning and a case has been registered. "This is a hilly terrain and the animal when crossing the road would not have seen the sudden oncoming vehicle which hit her at high speed and killed her on the spot,” the DCF added.

This is the second incident in the past few months on this road. It may be recalled that a black tiger was killed on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway on January 17 in Channapatna.

Veterinarian Dr Shashibhushan from Santheguli Veterinary Hospital conducted the post-mortem and the carcass was cremated in the presence of Vasant Reddy, deputy forest conservationist from Honnavar.