Journalism of Courage
A one-year-old male leopard, which was paralysed after a suspected attack by an older leopard, has recovered after months of treatment and therapy at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar. It has been released back into the wild.
A statement issued Thursday said that the NGO, Wildlife SOS, received a call in July from forest officials in Sangamner about an injured male leopard in need of urgent medical attention.
Preliminary examination showed that the leopard had sustained minor head injuries and had maggot-infested wounds around its neck. It was also suffering from nerve damage, which had caused complete paralysis of its forelimbs.
Wildlife SOS veterinarians decided to place the leopard under long recuperative treatment that involved daily leg massages, physiotherapy, assisted walks and nerve stimulating injections. Months of intensive treatment eventually paid off and the leopard exhibited outstanding progress by slowly regaining control of its limbs, said Dr Ajay Deshmukh, senior veterinarian at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre.
The young leopard has been released into a suitable leopard habitat, Deshmukh said. “These animals have an incredible sense of self-preservation, so there was never any doubt as to its recovery. We are very happy that the leopard is now healthy enough to be released into the wild, where it can thrive,” said Deshmukh.
Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, “The process of treating and rehabilitating an animal suffering from such conditions takes
a lot of time and it can be very exhausting, both emotionally and physically. Such incidents are also rare — there aren’t as many successful rehabilitation stories.”
Jayaramegowda R, deputy conservator of forests, Junnar, said, “The leopard was in a very critical state when it arrived at the centre. It is reassuring to know that it can now live freely in the wild.” The Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre is run by the Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Forest Department in Junnar.
