Forest dept will track leopard activity in the location the cub was found before resuming reunion mission
The rescuers of an abandoned leopard cub, barely a month old, are struggling to keep the young one alive in the absence of its mother, said sources. Since its rescue two days back, the forest department attempted to reunite the cub with the mother leopard but did not succeed. Now the officers have decided to take briefly stop the operation keeping in mind the cub's deteriorating health.
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A group of people on a morning walk at the Yeoor range of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) spotted the cub on Wednesday and alerted the forest department. After which the officials kept the cub, which is less than 20 days old, in a basket and put it at the spot where it was found, hoping the mother would return to claim its child, said a forest department officer.
The leopard cub, which is less than 20 days old, was found at Yeoor forest range of the SGNP on Wednesday
"We tried for two days to reunite the cub with its mother but the attempts were unsuccessful. On Wednesday night, a leopard walked past the plastic basket without looking at the cub. But, on Thursday night, there was no leopard activity at all. So, we have decided that we will first install a series of camera traps in the area where the cub was found and depending on the activity of leopards, take a decision on the reunion," the officer added.
Sources told mid-day that around 10-15 infrared camera traps have been installed in the area along with set of cameras that relay real time footage from the location. The officers are monitoring the activity from the Yeoor range office.
Another SGNP officer told mid-day, "As the cub has been away from its mother for a long time, its health has deteriorated and is critical. We are making all the possible efforts to save its life so that it can be successfully reunited with its mother."
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