Maharashtra: Three leopard cubs reunited with mother

In yet another carefully-planned operation, three leopard cubs were reunited with their mother in Junnar sub-division of Pune district.

Three 60-day-old leopard cubs were found in a sugarcane field in Shiroli village last week.

The local villagers discovered the stranded cubs while harvesting the sugarcane crops.

Accustomed to leopard sightings in the area, the farmers know to be wary of a protective mother lurking in the vicinity and following protocol, they immediately alerted the Maharashtra Forest Department.

The Wildlife SOS team operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar was also called to assist in the rescue operation.

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The Wildlife SOS and the MFD, after getting the information, rescued the cubs and then reunited them with their mother.

To ensure a successful reunion, the team waited until nightfall to set the operation in motion as leopards are most active during this time. The team returned to the field and placed the cubs in a safe box. In the early hours of Friday morning, camera traps installed to monitor the cubs captured the mother leopard approaching the safe box and reuniting with her cubs.

Dr Chandan Sawne, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said: “We conducted a clinical examination to rule out any abnormality or disease. Following protocol, we also carefully implant each cub with a microchip before the release. This is an excellent measure of identifying leopards in the wild and allows us to study the range and territory of the majestic big cats.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said: “Community-based conservation is the most important tool for mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Thus, the awareness of the local community plays a huge role here in avoiding any kind of mishap and ensuring that these cubs are safely reunited with their mothers.”