Leopard rejects cubs after human contact; Forest teams race to reunite them

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In a troubling incident from Biroli and Jiri villages in Vaijapur tehsil, a female leopard has refused to accept her two cubs after villagers touched them while recording videos. For ten days, forest officials have been watching the mother approach the cubs but leave without taking them, creating fear across the area.

The abandoned cubs now face starvation and danger from the wild. Forest teams and animal rescuers have been working round the clock to reunite the mother and cubs naturally. They have placed the cubs at a safe point and installed night-vision cameras to monitor movement. Residents have been told to stay alert and avoid disturbing wildlife.

“People should never interfere in forest areas. We are trying every possible method to help the mother take her cubs back.”

— Ashish Joshi, head of animal rescue team

“Some villagers picked up the cubs to shoot videos. This is risky and has caused the mother to reject them. Citizens should inform forest officials instead of touching wild animals.”

— P. B. Bhise, forest range officer, Vaijapur

Captions:

1. Leopard cubs placed at a safe location to support a natural reunion.

2. Night-vision camera recording activity around the fields.