With sugarcane harvesting in full swing, the forest department has its hands full – protecting leopards and their cubs. Shorn off the cover of cane stalks, leopards dwelling amid cane fields stand exposed. While the adults try and slink away, they often leave behind their cubs. The separation of mother-cub can cause serious man-leopard conflict.

According to foresters, in the past 20 days, they found eight abandoned cubs in sugarcane fields and managed to reunite them with their mothers.

Farmers have been asked not to harm the cubs or the big cats and inform foresters if they spot any, said M Semmaran, Bijnor divisional forest officer. He said three leopard cubs were rescued from a sugarcane field in Nagina`s Lakkhuwala village, three in Dhampur’s Sarawa area and two cubs at Niyamatpur in Akbarabad area over the past 20 days. All were reunited with their mothers.
Semmaran said, “We are trying our best to reunite cubs with their mothers as a leopardess may turn aggressive after getting separated from its cubs. On rare occasions, when the mother did not accept its cubs, we had to shift them to the zoo.”

Now, a task force has been set up for the purpose. Cameras had been installed at various sites to monitor the cubs. Once the cubs are reunited with the mother, they are kept under observation for two days in winter and one day in summer, the DFO said.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.