Leopard killed, meat consumed; 5 arrested

A full-grown leopard was trapped, killed and portion of its meat consumed by five villagers here, police said.

The five, hailing from Mankulam in the high-range Idukki district, were arrested on Friday, forest officials said.The animal's skin, teeth and claws have been recovered from the arrested, Mankulam Range Forest officer V B Udayasooryan, told PTI.

The incident is said to have occurred on Wednesday.

The animal, believed to be 6-7 year-old, was trapped by laying a snare by the accused.The leopard used to strayinto their farm, harming their cattle.The accused have been charged under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, produced before a court and remanded to custody.