A leopardess drowned after getting trapped in the contour canal of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) that is passing through the reserve forest areas of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district.According to ATR authorities, carcass of a leopardess was found in a section of the contour canal at Boothagundu reserve forest within the jurisdiction of the Pollachi forest range around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, when the field staff patrolled the area.The Forest Department team took out the carcass and found that its teeth and claws were intact. A veterinarian performed the post-mortem examination on Wednesday in the presence of officials from ATR and representatives from non-governmental organisations. The autopsy indicated that the carnivore could have died of drowning somewhere along the upper sections of the canal a few days ago, after which it was washed away to Boothagundu.Samples were collected from the carcass during the autopsy for histopathological and forensic analysis. The carcass was cremated as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority after the autopsy. Published - September 03, 2026 07:01 pm IST