Two leopard cubs mistaken for kittens, rescued in Nuh

Officials said that children along with their parents had gone to for cattle grazing when they spotted the cubs playing and brought them home

Updated on: Jul 14, 2023, 14:54:30 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Two 4-day old leopard cubs were rescued on Friday morning by wildlife officials from Nuh’s Kotla village, around 56 kilometres from Gurugram.

Both cubs are kept under observation and will be taken to the Aravalli where they were found. (HT photo)

According to officials, children were found playing with the cubs on Thursday night who had mistaken it for kittens.

Officials said that children along with their parents had gone to for cattle grazing when they spotted the cubs playing and brought them home.

Wildlife inspector Rajesh Chahal said that they received information around 9pm on Thursday night and a team visited Kotla village on Friday morning.

Chahal said the cubs are four-day-old.

“We have informed senior officials and are planning to reunite them with their mother,” said MS Malik, the chief conservator of forests (wildlife).

Also Read: Leopard found dead in snarl trap in Karnataka, say officials

Malik said their priority is to reunite them with their mother at the earliest.

“Both cubs are kept under observation and will be taken to the Aravalli where they were found,” he said.

The latest incident adds to the growing list of leopards being regularly spotted in the area, said officials.

On Thursday, residents of village Kherla in Nuh had spotted a pair of leopards in the Aravallis, around 500m from the residential area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More