DEHRADUN: In the last two months, as many as 15 wild animals have been found killed by speeding vehicles on national highway -74 near Haridwar forest division of Uttarakhand. The latest instance is that of a leopard who was killed on the same highway on Tuesday. A tiger was crushed on the same spot just two months ago. Divisional forest official, HK Singh said, "Besides leopard, a python, egress and cheetal too have been crushed in last four days only on the same highway. After tiger's death, we have intensified monitoring in the area. We have been continuously writing to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to erect rumble strips on the highway, for which we have also provided GPS locations to them. The signages for slowing down the speed on this stretch have also not been installed. Taking the last recourse, I have appealed to principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) to do something urgent about it." Singh is also more worried now about the safety of another tiger , the movement of which has been registered by the villagers as well as patrolling units on the same highway at night time in last few days . Earlier too, the tiger was killed by the speeding vehicles at 12 at night and, the culprits have not been identified till date. He said, deaths of many animals go unreported, as at times no sign is left on the road after they are killed at night time. PCCF (Wildlife ) DVS Khati told TOI, "I have written to general manager of NHAI to put up speed breakers as well as signages. However if they continue to disregard, then we will not allow further widening of this stretch. Besides this, the NHAI will also be taken to court on this account." He said, it was when railways behaved callously in slowing speed at sensitive wildlife areas which led to deaths of many elephants on railway track passing through Rajaji Tiger Reserve, then case was filed against them in the court, after which they fell in line and no casualty of elephant has taken on the same track for more than a decade now. Bivash Pandav, scientist with Wildlife Institute of India said, "This stretch of 27 km which connects Haridwar with Najibabad (UP) has already claimed lives of 26 leopards due to heavy traffic in last one decade. There are around 100 crossing trails which animals use for movement on this stretch. The highway also falls under unprotected forest on side of which is Jhilmil Conservation Reserve and on the other side Haridwar Forest Division. So no arrangement can be made to protect the animals on road. Only way out is to slow the speed by setting up speed breakers on the highway in this highly sensitive area."