The death of a female leopard here stirred controversy after a video of the incident surfaced on social media, prompting forest officials to order a formal inquiry on Tuesday.

Pilibhit Divisional Director of the Forest and Wildlife Division Bharat Kumar said that a three-member panel has been formed to investigate the video footage.

The committee will be headed by Anjani Kumar Srivastava, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, Pilibhit, with Vinit Prakash Srivastava, Range Forest Officer, and Sher Singh, Deputy Range Officer, as members.

"Further action will be taken based on the report submitted by the investigation team," the DFO said in a press release.

On Saturday evening, a two-year-old female leopard was hit by a pickup truck near Richhola outpost along the Madhotanda-Pilibhit Road and was dragged for about 200 metres.

The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled.

The injured leopard took shelter in roadside bushes.

When forest personnel arrived for the rescue, the animal attacked one of them. In response, another forest worker struck the leopard multiple times with an axe. A video of the incident that made rounds on social media showed that the team had no nets or equipment to restrain the leopard.

Several officials present at the scene reportedly stood by without intervening. By the time the leopard was caged, it had succumbed.

The forest department defended its action, saying the axe was used in self-defence.

A case has been registered against the pickup truck driver.

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