Coimbatore: The Nilgiris Forest Department has been keeping a close watch on the two leopard cubs spotted in a tea plantation at Nelliyalam near Pandalur on Thursday.

Workers involved in plucking tealeaves were shocked to hear the loud growl of a leopard in the vicinity. They then spotted a leopard disappearing into the wild and found two cubs left behind by the animal.

On receiving information, a team of officials from the Forest Department visited the spot and are hoping for the mother to take its cubs back.

“It’s usual for the mother leopard to leave its cubs in a hideout place while going on a hunt. This shouldn’t be construed that the mother leopard had abandoned its cubs. It will come again to take its cubs,” said an official of the Forest Department. However, the officials say that it is essential to avoid human interventions.

“The workers were advised not to disturb the cubs. Sometimes, the cubs would be taken by workers mistaking them for kittens. Once such an incident happened as a leopard cub was taken away believing it to be a kitten. After it was left back, the mother leopard arrived and took its cub along,” added the official.

It was only on Wednesday, the Forest Department helped an elephant calf to reunite with its mother in Gudalur Forest Division. In another wildlife related incident, a sloth bear was found taking a stroll at a residential area in Coonoor area on Thursday morning. The residents, who have taken videos of the sloth bear moving around, have urged the Forest Department to take preventive measures.

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