Rajasthan: Leopard Cub rescued from well in Kelwa village awaits reunion with mom

It took 15 officers from the Forest department just two hours to pull out a four-month-old leopard stuck at the bottom of a sludgy, 70-foot deep well. But it's not a happy ending yet. The task now is to identify and reunite the cub with her mother.

At around 10:15 am on Tuesday, the Rajsamand Forest Department received a call saying a leopard cub was spotted struggling at the bottom of a well in Kelwa village. "The well was in a field situated on the Kelwa-Kala Magra road, and a rescue team was dispatched immediately," says Fateh Singh, District Forest Officer of Rajsamand district.

It took the team nearly one hour to reach the spot, by when a crowd of villagers had gathered around the well. "We had to cordon off the area to devise and execute a rescue plan without hindrance," Singh says.

Seeing that it was a young cub, the team decided to use a net to pull her out. "A tranquilliser would put her life at risk," says a forest officer. The team lowered the net into the well and spread it in one part at the bottom. "Most of our time was spent luring her into the net," Singh explained. "She kept ducking behind a stone that was jutting out of the well. After a few attempts, we were able to pull her out."

The cub did not sustain any injuries and looks healthy; she is now under veterinary observation. "We are hoping that her mother comes looking for her so that they can be reunited," says Singh. "In past, we have seen mothers reject such cubs. If we do find her, we will track them for a few days to ensure everything goes well."