<p>A three-year-old male leopard was shot dead and its limbs were chopped off near Murkawad range in Haliyal division of Uttara Kannada district. </p>.<p>The incident is said to have taken place three to four days ago and came to light on Wednesday. The carcass was dumped in a canal next to a sugarcane field. Wildlife activists suspect it to be a poaching incident. Forest officials have not ruled it out.</p>.<p>DCF Balachandra said they suspect the role of a sharpshooter hired by farmers of the region. "Farmers are harvesting sugarcane. They might have hired a shooter to kill the big cat," he said. </p>
<p>A three-year-old male leopard was shot dead and its limbs were chopped off near Murkawad range in Haliyal division of Uttara Kannada district. </p>.<p>The incident is said to have taken place three to four days ago and came to light on Wednesday. The carcass was dumped in a canal next to a sugarcane field. Wildlife activists suspect it to be a poaching incident. Forest officials have not ruled it out.</p>.<p>DCF Balachandra said they suspect the role of a sharpshooter hired by farmers of the region. "Farmers are harvesting sugarcane. They might have hired a shooter to kill the big cat," he said. </p>