Panic gripped Sandheri village in Raigad’s Mhasla taluka on November 12 after videos claiming the presence of two “leopard cubs” in a local orchard went viral across social media and television news channels. However, it turned out to be a classic case of misidentification. Forest officials confirmed that the animals are actually the young of the Rusty Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), the world’s smallest wild cat species.

The kittens are healthy, and forest department officials will check if they can be reunited with their mother in the wild, or if they need temporary care before being released back into their natural habitat.