MP: Leopard with whom villagers in Dewas playing found seriously ill, undergoing treatment in Indore

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 1 : A leopard with whom villagers were spotted playing and taking selfies in a village in Dewas district has been found seriously ill and undergoing treatment at a veterinary hospital in Indore, an official said.
“A team of Dewas Forest Department came to Indore’s Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalay with this leopard at around 10:00 am on Wednesday and we started its treatment. The primary symptoms that have come to our notice are neurological disorders. There can be many reasons for this, including either the dumped form of rabies or the canine distemper virus," Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalay in charge Dr Uttam Yadav told ANI on Thursday. 

It was seen in the viral video of the leopard that it neither roared nor attacked anyone. The villagers were treating the leopard like a cow’s calf. Such cases were seen in neurological disorders when the animal forgets its identity, Yadav said.
The veterinarian further said, “Partial blindness is also visible in the eyes of the leopard. When the leopard came here, he was having fits in every half an hour, which is like epilepsy. The whole body was going stiff, its temperature was also high which was brought under control. There was also dehydration due to being hungry and thirsty for a long time.”

In the last 24 hours its fits and epilepsy have reduced but its condition is critical. The team of School of Wildlife Forensic and Health Jabalpur has also reached here and collected its samples for the examination. Further comment can be made after its report arrives, he said.
The age of the leopard is about 10 years and there is no injury mark on its body. It is difficult to say whether it will be able to survive or not but there is an improvement in its health in the last 24 hours. They were in contact with modern experts of the country and their advice is also being taken. The treatment of the leopard is underway, the veterinarian added.