In a heartening wildlife rescue operation, two vulnerable leopard cubs were safely recovered from a tea estate in Assam's Dibrugarh district on Tuesday morning. The forest department is now working to reunite the young animals with their mother.
Discovery by Tea Garden Workers
The incident unfolded at the Greenwood Tea Estate during the morning shift on Tuesday. Tea pluckers stumbled upon the two cubs, estimated to be merely two months old, hidden among dense tea bushes. Alert to the situation and concerned about the absence of the mother leopard, the estate management promptly alerted the Dibrugarh Range Office of the forest department around 10:30 am.
Swift Rescue and Health Check-Up
Responding immediately to the call, a team from the forest department reached the spot and took custody of the cubs. The officials ensured the safe retrieval of the animals, who were then transported for a thorough veterinary examination.
A forest official involved in the operation stated, "Our team acted swiftly after receiving information from the estate's assistant manager. The mother leopard was not sighted in the vicinity at that time." The veterinary check-up yielded positive results. The official confirmed, "The cubs are healthy and show no signs of injury or dehydration."
Authorities have advised minimal human contact and close monitoring to keep stress levels low for the cubs until their release.
Mission: Reunion with the Mother
The primary focus of the forest department is to facilitate a safe reunion between the cubs and their mother. The plan is to release the cubs in the same area later in the evening, hoping the mother leopard will return for them once human activity subsides.
"Our primary goal is to ensure that the cubs are safely reunited with their mother. We are hopeful that the mother is still in the vicinity and will come back once the place is quiet," the official added optimistically.
To support this delicate process, authorities have issued an advisory. They have urged local residents and tea garden workers to avoid the specific area for the next couple of days. This precaution is intended to provide the mother leopard with a disturbance-free environment to locate and reclaim her offspring.
This successful rescue highlights the crucial role of community vigilance and swift institutional response in wildlife conservation efforts in Assam.
