Mumbai: Cagey mum yet to pick up lost leopard cubs

Forest staff are posted inside Aarey to block access to the cubs’ location

While the three leopard cubs found in Aarey are in good health and being monitored by the forest department, efforts to reunite them with their mother continue. Three live CCTV cameras with night vision features are already active in the area to keep tabs on the cubs' movements and to check if their mother appears. Additionally, the forest department has deployed staff at strategic locations to prevent anyone from entering the area where the cubs are located. Camera traps are also active in the area to monitor leopard activity.

Camera traps are active in the area to monitor leopard activity

In the last two days, the reunion did not happen, and on Thursday, the cubs were kept for reunion attempts on the third day. It's worth noting that veterinarian Dr Vinaya Jangle from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), along with her team, is closely monitoring the health of the cubs.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Santosh Saste from Thane Forest Department (Territorial) said, "We are taking all possible measures to reunite the cubs with their mothers." On Wednesday, mid-day reported that three leopard cubs were found at Aarey Milk Colony in the well of a non-functional biogas plant. The Maharashtra Forest Department had initiated the reunion process for the young felines.

On Tuesday, cattle farm owner Siraj Salema received information from a worker that there were three cubs in an abandoned well. At around 8.30 am, one of the workers spotted the leopard cubs in the abandoned biogas well. Salema informed the forest department volunteers conducting camera trapping in Aarey Milk Colony.

Following the instructions of SGNP Director G Mallikarjun and DCF Santosh Saste, Assistant Conservator of Forest Sudhir Sonawale, Assistant Conservator of Forest Sonal Valvi, Range Forest Officer Narendra Muthe, RFO Nikit Shinde, and SGNP Veterinary Officer Vinaya Jangle reached the spot. The 300-metre area in the radius of the abandoned well where the leopard cubs were found was cordoned off.

Two days
Period the leopard cubs have been abandoned