Experts fear leopard cub could be caged for life

Experts fear that the six-month-old leopard cub trapped by forest officials on Saturday morning in Palghar could be caged for the rest of its life if it is not reunited with its mother.

The department, on its part, has set up camera traps and is identifying pugmarks in Kandipada, a small Warli settlement in Acchad village, to locate the cub’s mother.

The cub, which has been radio-collared, will be caged for three days for now.

Forest authorities, after conducting tests on the cub, have learnt that the wild cat is weak and needs to be treated. Senior officials told this newspaper that the department transported it to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) late on Sunday night. “Dr Shailesh Pethe, the park veterinarian, will be treating the cub and it will be sent back after receiving treatment,” said the official from Dahanu. Commenting on this, Pawan Sharma, founder of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), who has been assisting the forest department in its rescue and search operations, said, “Rather than shifting the cub to SGNP for treatment and observation, such provisions must be made at the Dahanu facility so that reuniting process can be done quickly and easily. Any more delays will make the process more difficult.”

Deputy chief conservator of Dahanu division N.S. Ladkat said, “We have spoken to the SGNP authorities and its veterinarian will be treating the cub. We have radio-collared it and are now looking to reunite it with its mother.”

Speaking about the reunification process, Dr Vidya Athreya, a wildlife scientist, said,

“Reuniting the cub with its mother is of utmost importance as it is during this age when the mother teaches its cub to avoid humans. The department shouldn’t release the cub until it’s reunited with its mother.”

Wildlife researcher and conservationist Krishna Tiwari, said, “Forest officials will take the cub to the same spot where they found it, hoping that the mother would come to the spot in search of its offspring. If this happens, the cub will be released. If the reunion is unsuccessful, the animal will have to be caged for life.”