Four Leopard Cubs Found In Sugarcane Field Reunite With Mother For Second Time In Two Weeks
The four cubs were found in a sugarcane field in Kabdawadi Village in Junnar, Maharashtra on Monday. These were the same cubs that were found by sugarcane harvesters from a field in Kabdawadi in the first week of April.
In an extremely rare incident, four leopard cubs were found in a sugarcane field and reunited with their mother, twice in two weeks.
The four cubs were found in a sugarcane field in Kabdawadi Village in Junnar, Maharashtra on Monday.
Wildlife SOS
Identified with microchips
These were the same cubs that were found by sugarcane harvesters from a field in Kabdawadi in the first week of April.
They were then rescued by NGO, Wildlife SOS which then successfully reunited them with their mother.
The cubs were found again during harvest in a nearby field.
The Maharashtra Forest Department and Wildlife SOS identified the cubs using their unique microchip number, which was implanted when they were first found.
Wildlife SOS
The harvesters who found the cubs in the field on Monday were trained in preliminary rescue protocols, they immediately contacted the Forest Department.
A team of Wildlife SOS, operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre was called in for reinforcements.
Wildlife SOS veterinary doctor, Dr. Nikhil Bangar conducted an on-site medical examination during which he identified the cubs as those previously reunited.
Happy second reunion
According to the NGO, this is not the first case in which they have rescued and reunited the cubs with their mother twice.
¡°Harvest season in Maharashtra coincides with leopard cub season, creating unique cases of human-leopard n interface. We have previously had instances where leopard cubs have to once again be reunited with their mothers,¡± Dr. Nikhil Bangar, Wildlife Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS, said.
Wildlife SOS
After assessing their health the cubs were then placed in a safe box near the location where they were found.
Camera traps installed captured the mother leopard carefully approaching her cubs and carrying them off to safety.
Wildlife SOS
¡°Such rescue operations are extremely important as a mother¡¯s care is integral to the survival of a leopard cub. Microchips have a unique ID that helps us keep a track of cubs that have been reunited with their mothers. This chip not only helps in reunions but allows us to study the range and territory of big cats,¡± Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said.
Leopards in sugarcane fields
The sugarcane harvest season in Maharashtra which runs into till April coincides with the time when leopards give birth.
BCCL
Female leopards often leave their cubs in a protected area as they set out to hunt as the sugarcane fields provide the necessary cover from other predators.
Due to the expansion of sugarcane fields into forest lands, the number of leopards and cubs being found during harvest is on the rise.
According to Wildlife SOS, since they began operating in Maharashtra the NGO has done more than 80 successful reunions.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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