Margherita: Two leopard cubs rescued near homes, reunion bid fails

Two leopard cubs have been rescued by the Assam Forest Department from near a residential area in Margherita in Tinsukia district, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has said.

The cubs, one male and one female, are about two to three months old. They were found this week in the Margherita East Range of the Digboi Forest Division, according to information WTI shared on social media on Friday and reported by Northeast Now.

Bid to reunite with mother

An adult female leopard had been seen in the same locality earlier and was later released into Dehing Patkai National Park. Forest staff suspected she could be the cubs' mother and tried to bring the family back together, but the attempt did not succeed.

Reuniting young animals with their mother is usually the first option in such rescues, because cubs raised in the wild by their mothers learn to hunt and survive far better than those raised by people.

Now in specialist care

The two cubs are now being looked after by the IFAW-WTI Mobile Veterinary Service Unit for Eastern Assam (MVS-EA). The unit works alongside the Assam Forest Department and is supported by the Ashrayhasta Trust.

Forest officials said the cubs will need specialised care and suitable wildlife management steps. No decision on their long-term future has been announced.

Leopards close to people

Leopards adapt to many kinds of habitat and are often found near villages, tea gardens and town edges. Cubs, however, are especially vulnerable once separated from their mothers, and close encounters between people and wildlife can be risky for both.

Margherita lies on the edge of the Dehing Patkai landscape, one of Assam's largest stretches of lowland rainforest, which was upgraded to a national park in 2021 and spreads across Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts. Residents of fringe areas are generally advised not to approach or handle wild animals, including young ones that appear abandoned, and to inform the local forest range office instead.