Two leopard cubs rescued, reunited with mother

The cubs were discovered by farmers at Ozar village while harvesting sugarcane crops. Wildlife SOS veterinarian Dr Nikhil Bangar conducted a meticulous examination for ticks and injuries and found the cubs to be healthy and fit for release.

A pair of 45-day-old male leopard cubs were found in a sugarcane field in Ozar village in Junnar tehsil of Pune district on Thursday. The cubs were successfully reunited with their mother by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department.(Representational)

The cubs were discovered by farmers at Ozar village while harvesting sugarcane crops. Wildlife SOS veterinarian Dr Nikhil Bangar conducted a meticulous examination for ticks and injuries and found the cubs to be healthy and fit for release.

The team arranged for the cubs to be returned to the field so that the mother could find them. Two remote-controlled camera traps were installed in the field to document the reunion process, while the team monitored the area from a safe distance.

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Dr Bangar said that the mother must have been searching for her cubs as it only took 20 minutes for her to find them. “Such reunions are of great importance as they curb conflict situations. If female leopards are unable to locate their cubs, it is natural for them to turn defensive or aggressive and they pose an immediate threat to humans in close proximity,” Bangar said.

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