Two cats, one cat and one dog have been killed by poachers who killed them while trapping wild animals in a hunt in the western state of Uttar Pradesh.

The killing of the felines took place on Thursday at a hunting ground near the state capital of Lucknow, local officials said.

Police said the two cats, a male and a female, were killed by a stray dog and were sent to the state’s veterinary college for identification.

A statement issued by the local police said they were working on the case.

The two cats were killed between 9.45am and 11.15am on Thursday, the statement said.

A source said the deceased were not part of a household, and the two had lived together for more than 20 years.

They were scavengers, said the police.

They were not scavengers.

A vet told them to be careful.

The owner is now looking after them and is also a vet, the police said.

The two cats had been living with the owner in the area, a police official said.

There is no specific data on how many animals are killed in the hunt, but estimates put the number at about one animal per 10 square metres of land.

The hunt was organised by the Uttar Pradesh Rural Development Authority (UPRA), which has a large hunting ground in the village of Jhalawar, which is close to the region’s capital Lucknow.