A leopard cub was found abandoned in a village near Murbad in Thane district by a group of tribals. The cub was in a forested area and was about to be attacked by a pack of stray dogs. The Murbad Forest Department and Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) intervened timely and safely rescued the cub. They began an operation to reunite the cub with its mother.
Medical Examination and Strategic Placement
The leopard cub was first medically examined. A team of experts from RAWW evaluated the situation and found a strategic location where the cub was placed in a container for three days from evening to morning. The cub was taken back for feeding and care every day. Cameras were installed to monitor the cub along with drones, night vision, and other equipment.
Reunion Attempts
On the first day, the female leopard visited the cub but did not take it back into the forests. On the second day, the female did not visit the area, suspected due to rainfall. Finally, on the third day, after two failed attempts, the leopard came and took the cub away. This marks one of the first leopard reunion exercises on record.
Team Effort
A team of 15 members from RAWW and 15 forest officials were on ground 24x7 in different shifts, playing different roles. The whole exercise was done under the supervision of Sachin Repal, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Thane Territorial Wing, and Maheshkumar Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Murbad. The teams will continue to monitor and patrol the location and surroundings.
