CANACONA
Forest, fire and police teams along with locals were involved in unexpected action at Patnem-Canacona on Tuesday morning, when a leopard cub was rescued from a residential locality.
While the cub, believed to be about 2 months old, was later sent to the Hathipal Rescue Centre at the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, efforts are now on to locate the leopardess in and around Palolem, Patnem, Colomb and Ponsulem, in a bid to reunite the cub with its mother.
According to locals, the leopardess and two cubs was often seen in and around Patnem-Colomb in recent days.
On Monday night, a resident heard dogs barking continuously but did not notice anything unusual. The next morning, another resident noticed birds hovering around a tree and then saw the leopard cub on the tree.
The forest department was alerted and a team from the South Goa forest (wildlife) rushed to Patnem, after also notifying the Pissonem Forest Range Office and Canacona Territorial Forest Office.
As the cub was seen stranded on the tree, the fire services were pressed into service and a firefighter climbed up the ladder in a bid to rescue the cub.
The petrified cub jumped off the tree and was caught in the net spread on the ground. The cub was then put into a cage by a forest team with the assistance of firefighters and locals, before being taken to Hathipal Animal Rescue Centre at the Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary.
Teams from the Cannacona police and Traffic Cell were also present to cordon off the area and to prevent several onlookers from rushing towards the site.
In the meanwhile, panic has gripped the locality as locals fear that the leopardess could turn violent and attack people after being separated from its cub.
Environmentalists and animal welfare activists have offered their services to reunite the leopardess with its cub.
Animal rescuer, Alex Carpenter, who has offered his services, said there is an urgent need to reunite the cub, which is presently at Cotigao, with its mother and appealed to people to be on the lookout at Patnem-Colomb, Ponsulem and Palolem for the leopardess and to alert the forest department if it is sighted in the area.
In a message on social media, Carpenter said: “If sighted, the displaced cub, now kept at Cotigao, will be brought to the location and attempts will be made to reunite them.”
“Since the cub is just less than two months old, it doesn't stand a chance to survive without the mother and moreover, there are no rehabilitation facilities.”
“If the cub is united with its mother, it will be the best and safest thing for the community as the leopardess will be far less aggressive when she has both of her cubs with her.”
Messages have also been spread on social media appealed to people to contact the forest department on its 24x7 hotline (Ph: 08322750246) or Julio (Ph: 9822152010) of the forest department.
