Forest officials search for injured leopard cub missing from Indore zoo premises

According to officials, the forest department and IMC were investigating the matter, but no one has been held accountable as yet.

Forest officials on Saturday continued their search for the injured six-month-old leopard cub that disappeared from the Kamala Nehru Zoo in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, three days ago.

According to officials, the forest department and IMC were investigating the matter, but no one has been held accountable as yet. (Representational image) (HT photo)

The leopard cub was earlier found wandering in the forest area with injuries on its hind legs, after getting separated from its mother, and was brought to the zoo here for treatment from Burhanpur district, an official said.

"Forest staffers had kept the cub inside a cage installed in a vehicle parked on the zoo premises on Wednesday night and left after that. We had told the forest staff that we will not be able to shift the animal at night," Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) run Kamla Nehru Zoo in-charge Uttam Yadav said.

On Thursday, when the zoo staff went to the cage to shift the cub, they found that the mesh of the cage had been broken and the animal was missing, Yadav said.

According to officials, the forest department and IMC were investigating the matter, but no one has been held accountable as yet.

One of the largest animal welfare organisations in India – People For Animals – Indore president Priyanshu Jain said, “There appears to be serious negligence on the part of the forest department and zoo workers and the responsible people should face legal action.”