Farmers found three leopard cubs in a sugarcane field in Vadgaon Sahani village located in Junnar tehsil of Pune district of Maharashtra.
In a successful rescue and conservation effort by Wildlife SOS and Maharashtra Forest Department, the lost cubs were safely reunited with their mother.
While harvesting their sugarcane crops, local farmers stumbled upon three tiny leopard cubs huddled together amidst the tall, dense fields in Vadgaon Sahani village located in Junnar, earlier this week.
Accustomed to catching occasional glimpses of leopards around the area, the farmers immediately reported the incident to the MFD. The leopard cubs were brought to the Wildlife SOS Leopard Rescue Center for a brief medical examination.
Identified as two males and one female, the cubs were estimated to be about fifteen days old. Wildlife SOS veterinary doctor Dr Nikhil Bangar checked them for ticks and injuries and found the young leopards to be in good health.
The initial attempt to reunite the lost cubs with their mother by Wildlife SOS and the MFD was unsuccessful, but the team was not ready to give up.
They placed the cubs in a safe box and returned to the field on Monday night, hoping that the mother would be able to find them. After a long night of waiting, the mother leopard was seen slowly approaching the field at dawn. Relieved to be reunited with her cubs, the leopard quickly knocked over the box and took her babies away to a safer location.
Dr Nikhil Bangar, Wildlife Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS, said, “The initial attempt at reunion didn’t work out but we weren’t ready to give up hope. Seeing the mother leopard return for her cubs the next day was quite reassuring as they will have a good chance at a free life in the wild. In the past two months, we have successfully reunited 10 leopard cubs with their mothers.”
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “Harvest season in Maharashtra often coincides with leopard cub season, which puts both humans and these elusive wild cats in a rather sensitive and conflicting situation. We are grateful to the villagers who took the right step by informing the MFD. Wildlife SOS works closely with the Forest Department to raise awareness about leopards among the villagers and to promote the need for co-existence.”
Yogesh Ghodke, Range Forest Officer, said, “Junnar region has a significant leopard population and due to rapid loss of forest cover, these animals have found safe cover in the dense sugarcane fields. During the sugarcane harvesting season, we see an increase in the number of encounters with leopard cubs.”