4 leopard cubs rescued near Big Banyan Tree in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Four leopard cubs were rescued near Dodda Aalada Mara (Big Banyan Tree) Tuesday after they were found unattended, allegedly due to human disturbance in the area.The rescue was carried out by the forest department with support from PfA Wildlife Hospital, which activated its Quick Rescue Reaction Team and reached the site within 30 minutes of receiving the alert. Forest and veterinary teams first scanned the area for signs of the mother leoapard's return before deciding to intervene.
The cubs, estimated to be five to seven days old, include three females and one male. They were found dehydrated and shifted to PfA Wildlife Hospital for evaluation. Ultrasonography showed no internal injuries, following which the cubs were stabilised and provided nutritional support after missing several nursing cycles.Colonel Dr Navaz Shariff, chief wildlife veterinarian at PfA Wildlife Hospital, said leopard mothers rarely abandon their young voluntarily and are often forced away by human presence."Our responsibility is to intervene only when required, and then step back to let nature reconnect. We are working to give the mother the best chance to return to her cubs," Dr. Navaz added.The rescue was initiated after Ravi, deputy range forest officer, alerted PfA about the leopard cubs.