A rare black leopard cub, which was abandoned by its mother, died in the Coimbatore forest range on Thursday morning. Forest department officials suspect a lung infection led to the cub's demise.
Rescue and Attempted Reunion
The cub was first discovered near a residence in the Leprosy Colony, located in the foothills of Marudhamalai, on Wednesday morning. Alert residents promptly notified the frontline staff of the forest department, who quickly arrived at the scene to rescue the vulnerable animal.
In a bid to reunite the cub with its mother, the officials placed it inside a natural cave-like structure built with stones within the reserve forest. They also set up a camera trap to monitor the site remotely. Their efforts initially seemed promising when a leopardess and another cub visited the structure around 4:30 AM on Thursday and interacted with the black cub.
Tragic Discovery and Official Response
However, during a check at approximately 5 AM, staff found the cub was missing from the shelter. A search ensued, and the cub was found lying motionless about 300 meters away from the structure. It was confirmed dead upon examination.
The incident sparked negative comments on social media, criticising the forest department's perceived failure. Addressing the criticism, an official expressed that any animal death is distressing. "But in nature, separation happens," the official stated, noting that the leopardess had interacted with the cub through the night before abandoning it again. "The cub was not able to survive due to various reasons. Postmortem suggested lung infection caused its death. It will be confirmed once we get laboratory test results," the official added, confirming that samples had been sent for analysis.
Underlying Cause and Aftermath
Officials theorise that the mother leopard likely abandoned the cub because it was inherently weak, which may have made it susceptible to the fatal infection. The department's protocol of attempting a natural reunion in the wild, rather than immediate captivity, is a standard practice aimed at keeping wildlife in its natural habitat where possible.
This sad event highlights the challenges faced by wildlife officials in managing human-wildlife interface zones and the harsh realities of survival in the natural world.
