Maharashtra: Village boys save two-month-old leopard cub from pack of feral dogs

The cub was examined before being reunited with the mother leopard

Thanks to alert villagers, a two-month-old leopard cub was saved from feral dogs in Pune. It was rescued by a few boys when they saw it being chased in Papalwadi village located in Khed taluka.

Immediately after being informed about this, Forest Department personnel rushed to the spot and the distressed cub was taken to the Wildlife SOS Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar for medical examination. Post check-up, the leopard cub was reunited with its mother.

Pradeep Kasare, RFO Khed said, "A few boys from the village saw that the cub was in danger and ran to its rescue. They immediately contacted the Forest Department and we dispatched a team to the location. We are happy that the cub was reunited with its mother."

A team from Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department returned to the village later to reunite the cub with its mother. Remote-controlled camera traps were installed by the team to document the
reunion process.

According to Forest Department officials, the footage showed that the cub became very active and vocal once he noticed his mother emerging from the field. She rushed toward the crate, sniffing curiously around it before pushing the top off. After a happy reunion, the leopard family disappeared.

‘Cub recovered quickly'

Dr Nikhil Bangar, Wildlife Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS, said, "The cub is a male, estimated to be 2-months-old. Luckily, he did not sustain any injuries and was able to recover quickly from the stressful ordeal. We thank the people of Papalwadi village for their compassion and for saving the cub's life."

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, "Over the years, we've noticed a positive change in the mindset of the local community. Awareness programmes have played a key role in sensitising them to issues of human-leopard conflict and today, more and more people are reaching out to us for help when they encounter leopards and other wild animals in the area."

Wild cats have adapted

Over the years, the wild cats of Maharashtra have suitably adapted to habitat modification and have moved out of the shrinking forests into dense sugarcane fields. Female leopards often leave their young in the safe cover of the sugarcane fields when they go hunting. However, these cubs face the risk of being exposed, because farmers move around the fields to cut down the crops, especially during the harvest season.