With sugarcane fields spread out in Maharashtra’s Junnar division in Pune district, it is not unusual for farmers to come across newly born leopard cubs. This is what happened in Kailash Nagar village when the residents came across a cub while harvesting sugarcane crops.
Familiar with such situations, the farmers immediately reported to the Forest Department who along with a three-member from Wildlife SOS rushed to the location to help secure the young cub.
On reaching there, the NGO’s veterinary doctor performed an on-site health examination and found that the cub was a male, aged approximately 15 days old.
With evening setting in, it was time for the rescue team to arrange for the cub to be returned to the field where it was found to reunite it with mother. They set up cameras which captured the mother leopard slowly approaching the field at midnight and gently picking up her cub by the scruff of his neck and retreating to a safer location.
Speaking about the incident, Dr. Chandan Sawane, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said: “After examining the cub and ensuring that it was in good health, we returned to the field to initiate the reunion process. Time is of essence in these situations as the longer the separation between cubs and mother, the harder it is to reunite them.”
Praising the villagers, Ajit Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Junnar Forest Range said: “Following all safety measures, our team worked with the Wildlife SOS team to reunite the cub. We are glad that the mother safely took the young leopard away and the reunion happened that very same day.”
