Leopard cubs rescued from drowning in a well in Sangamner

The Maharashtra Forest Department along with NGO Wildlife SOS rescued a pair of 3-month-old leopard cubs which trapped inside a nearly 100-feet-deep well in Digras village in Sangamner. The mother leopard had drowned to death in another well a few days ago. The orphaned cubs are currently under temporary care at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center run by Wildlife SOS.

Occupants of Digras village, Sangamner were shocked to find two baby leopards trapped inside a nearly 100 feet deep well. The villagers immediately contacted the Forest Department for help. The cubs were rescued by forest officers, who later tried tracking down the mother in hopes of reuniting the family. However, they discovered that the leopardess had fallen into another well nearby and drowned to death a few days ago. The cubs were identified as one male and a female which was approximately 3 months old.

Dr. Ajay Deshmukh, Senior Veterinarian at the Wildlife SOS Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre said, "The cubs must have been wandering in search of food and had the misfortune of falling into the uncovered well. It is a miracle they were found alive! We are closely monitoring their health as baby felids are susceptible to various health issues and are quite delicate at this age."

Also Read: Female leopard that attacked two kids found dead in Thane

Harshal Parekar, Range Forest Officer, Sangamner said, "On receiving information about the cubs, we immediately mobilised our team to carry out the rescue. Since, they needed expert care, we placed them in the safe hands of the Wildlife SOS team."

The cubs were later transferred to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center run by wildlife conservation NGO Wildlife SOS, where they can receive proper care under close observation. The centre currently houses over 30 leopards that are not fit to be released back into the wild and it provides a transit home for leopards injured by or trapped in conflict situations prior to their release.

In the last decade around 1,500 animals, including leopards, jackals, jungle cats, sambars and hyenas, have reportedly died after falling into open wells and uncovered water tanks, making these a growing threat to wildlife in Maharashtra.

Also Read: Leopard cub found dead in Murbad near Mumbai

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates