Indian officials burning the body of an endangered leopard

The magnificent beast was tracked down and killed after it was said to have mauled four villagers near Jorhat in north-east Assam Province. 

All four suffered serious injuries in the attack which happened after the animal entered a local residential settlement. 

Forest department officials later arrived to burn the body of the fully-grown female leopard in line with India's forest policy. 

The disturbing images show the dead body of the big cat lying among burning logs, its spotted fur singed by the flames.

It echoes a similar case on the other side of the country in Ghaziabad last week when a young leopard was hacked to death by villagers after the animal strayed into their farmland.

Four were injured when the leopard attacked villagers, who were tracking the animal armed with sticks and stones. 

More than 1,000 villagers had joined the hunt to find the big cat, a three-year-old female, which was later killed, according to the district forest department.

The forest department has lodged a report against 500 unidentified villagers under the Wildlife Protection Act for killing the animal, meaning the police will investigate. 

And just last month, another leopard was shot dead after it escaped from a compound in Assam and took shelter in a house Jakhalabandha, in the Nagaon district. 

Indian leopards are under threat of extinction due to poaching for their skin. Villagers also regularly kill the cats when they stray near settlements. 

Leopard populations are often found quite close to settlements and even in semi-developed areas in India as their forest habitat disappears.

In 2008 alone, there were five reported cases of leopards being beaten up or burnt by villagers.

Under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (IWPA), hunting or attacking leopards is illegal as it is an endangered species. The offence carries a sentence of up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of 10,000 rupees (£106).

The forest department has also been trying to set up traps so the leopards can be stopped from entering human settlements.

(dailymail.co.uk)