Maharashtra: Two rescued male leopards become close friends as they heal and thrive

Rescued leopards Ganesh and Vitthal have struck a bond of friendship

People may think friendships are only possible among humans, but two rescued male leopards - Ganesh and Vitthal - are set on proving everyone wrong. Both leopards were rescued by NGO Wildlife SOS and are currently residing at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, located in Maharashtra.

In 2011, the NGO rescued Ganesh, a male leopard, from a severe human-animal conflict scenario. Having been brutally attacked by a hostile mob, he was grievously injured and left battling for his life. Ganesh was rushed to the Manikdoh Rescue Centre, run jointly with the Maharashtra State Forest Department, for urgent medical treatment. With little time at hand, Ganesh had to be operated on for a severely infected left eye. He had also developed a cataract in his right eye, thereby permanently impairing his vision.

Vitthal's story, on the other hand, involves the leopard being an oblivious victim of a deadly snare trap set up by poachers. Rescued in 2009 from a small village skirting the borders of a dense forest in Maharashtra, Vitthal was gravely wounded by the wire snare trap. The NGO's veterinary team toiled hard to save the animal's life and though Vitthal survived the ordeal, it led to the unfortunate and permanent loss of his right hind paw.

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In the case of both leopards, life in the wild was no longer possible and so they were placed under the long-term care of Wildlife SOS. As they had experienced trauma in the past, the team decided to introduce the two leopards to observe their interaction. They found that the two male leopards had struck up an unlikely friendship and have grown inseparable after having spent over a decade in each other's company.

Kartick Satyanarayan co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, "Ganesh and Vitthal are a rare example of a deep bond between two adult males. In the wild, two male leopards will not bond with each other due to their natural tendency of being territorial. While Ganesh relies heavily on his auditory and olfactory senses to compensate for his vision, Vitthal can be seen climbing his platform enrichments which are built specially to suit his needs."

Lizard trafficker nabbed from Aksa

A 35-year-old Malad resident was arrested by the police and sent to the custody of Maharashtra forest department after he was caught trafficking a dead Indian monitor lizard. The accused, Gorakh Chakhoji Jadhav, arrested under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, is said to have an intention of consuming the lizard's meat and extract oil from it for medicinal purposes. The forest department will probe his role in other wildlife crimes. Lifeguard at Aksa beach and a wildlife enthusiast, Nathuram Suryavanshi, had alerted the police after locating Jadhav with the lizard.