Leopard Cub Spotted Walking In Rain In Mumbai's Aarey Rescued, Later Sleeps In Blanket

A leopard cub was seen walking in the rain on a street in Mumbai's Aarey this evening. The cub that appeared lost and separated from its mother was trying to enter a tin shed for shelter. Its fur was covered in wet mud.

Cub appeared lost, separated from its mother

Some people on seeing the leopard cub called in a group of animal rescuers. They picked up the cub and took it to safety. Visuals show animal rescue staff holding the cub wrapped in a warm blanket. Locals said some police officers also came to give any help they can and coordinate the rescue.

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By late evening the cub looked calm in the blanket in visuals shared by the rescuers.

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"Area disturbed due to metro work"

Efforts are on to reunite the cub with the mother leopard in the forest. "The female cub is barely 45 days old. We have now placed her in a spot inside the national park where chances are high of the mother leopard finding her and thereby leading to a reunification," assistant commissioner (wildlife) at SGNP, Dr Shailesh Pethe told TOI.

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A local resident, Intekhab Farooqui, commented: "This entire area at Aarey Colony where the cub has been found is disturbed due to the hectic Metro work going on. There are also illegal structures inside. So, this is bound to affect wildlife and lead to man-animal conflict."

600 acre in Aarey reserved

Aarey is an area in Mumbai covered with a vast swathe of green and home to a wide variety of animals and birds. It is the last few remaining green spaces in the financial and entertainment capital.

In September last year, the Maharashtra government decided to reserve 600 acre in Aarey, near Sanjay Gandhi National Park in suburban Mumbai, as a forest and conserve the area.

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Aarey car shed row

The proposed car shed in Aarey had led to a bitter row between environmental activists and the then BJP-ruled Maharashtra government, which wanted to cut down 2,700 trees to build the shed.

BCCL

Incidents of leopards straying into apartments have been reported several times on the outskirts of Mumbai. Environmentalists put the blame on unchecked development eating into the habitat of leopards and other animals.