The Department of Wildlife Conservation is set to track down those involved in the killing of the leopard at the Udawalawe National Park with the aid of intelligence groups, Wildlife Chief Chandana Sooriyabandara said.
He said they have received court permission to investigate into the incident that devastated many nature lovers.
The carcass of the young male leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) was located close to the 14th-milepost outside the Udawalawe National Park on December 31, which had several of its paws and teeth missing.
Prior reports stated that the leopard was shot, but an official at the Udawalawe National Park said this was untrue.
Available statistics show that Sri Lanka houses around 1,000 leopards. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, the leopard population in the world is decreasing.