The Wildlife Department yesterday rescued two leopard cubs near the village of Chokpot, West Garo Hills.
The rescue took place in the evening after a member of the public informed that he had found two leopard cat kittens in the forest and brought them home. He had sought the help of the Wildlife Department to help rehabilitate the animals.
After being informed about the issue, a wildlife team took custody of the cubs, which were found to be only two weeks old.
“They have been rescued and brought to us. We are currently taking care of the animals as they are too young to be released into the wild,” said the District Forest Officer (Wildlife), Arphiyush Sangma.
Although well-meaning, the ‘rescue’ of such infants can cause more harm than good as the cubs will now not be able to develop their instincts for survival, which they would have otherwise learned from their mothers.
“Some people find these animals and think they need to be rescued and bring them home. While it is a good gesture, their survival depends on their being able to understand the jungle and how to survive,” said Sangma.
