Despite being busy with cutting sugarcane in their fields, farmers in Maharashtra took time to save three leopard cubs and unite them with their mother.
The incident took place in Umbraj village in Junnar division’s Otur forest range near Pune, Maharashtra, where sugarcane farmers found three leopard cubs. Being used to seeing leopards, they instead of been terrified, promptly informed the Forest Department who reached the spot along with Wildlife SOS team of experts.’
Dr. Nikhil Bangar, the Wildlife SOS veterinary doctor checked the cubs to ensure that they were not injured and dehydrated. The cubs included two males and a female and they are estimated to be about 45-days-old.
The Veterinary Officer observed: “We checked the cubs for ticks and injuries and the examination confirmed that they were healthy. Reuniting cubs that have been separated from their mothers is very important at such a crucial stage as leopard mothers turn very aggressive out of sheer distress, thus inviting an incident of direct conflict.”
Following the check-up, forest officials team arranged for reuniting the cubs with their mother and took them to the field where they had been found.
To document the proceedings, remote-controlled camera traps were installed by Wildlife SOS which showed the mother leopard approaching her cubs at midnight and picking them up individually by the scruff of the neck, took them to safety.
The Regional Forest Officer of Otur, VM Kakde remarked: “During this season the cutting of sugar cane fields takes place and it is here that we find numerous leopard cubs. Such incidents are quite common for villagers residing near the scrub forests of Maharashtra, which is the natural habitat of a large population of leopards.”
Over the last 10 years, the joint effort of the Maharashtra Forest Department and Wildlife SOS has successfully reunited more than 80 cubs with their mothers, especially during the peak harvest season.
Appreciating the efforts of the villagers, Wildlife SOS CEO, Kartick Satyanarayan said: “Living in close quarters with leopards, the local communities and farmers play a very important role in conflict mitigation and encouraging the idea of co-existence.”
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