Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau.
Two newborn leopard cubs discovered on Monday morning in the Haripur Motiya area of the Belbaba Bhakra Range under the Terai Central Forest Division, died on Tuesday despite efforts by the forest department.
The incident unfolded on Monday morning when a woman, while cutting grass near an empty plot in Haldwani-Rampur Road, felt a sharp clawing sensation on her hand. Initially mistaking the creature for a kitten, she soon realized it was a leopard cub. Upon further inspection, she found a second cub nearby. She immediately informed her husband, who alerted the forest department.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Umesh Tiwari said, “Our team promptly arrived at the scene and installed cameras to monitor the area to track the mother and to watch the cubs. The cubs appeared to be about a month old. We hoped the mother, scared away by human presence, would return to retrieve them.”
Despite the forest department’s appeal to residents to avoid disturbing the area and continuous monitoring, both cubs were found dead on Tuesday morning. Their bodies were sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
“The loss of the cubs is deeply saddening. The exact reason for their demise will be known after the post-mortem report,” Tiwari added.
