Pune: Leopard cub strays away from mom, pulled out of half-full well

MUMBAI: A leopard cub that had landed into a half-full well was rescued on Monday afternoon. Soon after it was pulled out, the cub which, forest officials said, could be no more than three months old, rushed headlong into a sugarcane field, possibly where its mother was.
Around noon, farmer Sunil Sonawane from Chalakwadi village in Pune district spotted the spotted cat sitting patiently on a ledge inside the well which was half full. The farmer alerted the police who in turn alerted forest department officials, said Yogesh Ghodake, forest officer for Otur range. The village is located at Alephata in Junnar taluka.
A team of forest officials reached the spot and lowered a blue rectangular plastic box into the well using a rope. “The petrified cub sat there, watching the goings-on, seemingly unsure and maybe even a bit insecure about what was happening,” said Ghodake.
The rescue team left the box dangling close to where the cub was perched, hoping that it would get in. The cub, however, seemed to ponder over whether or not to step into the box even as the rescue team members kept the basket as close to the ledge as possible. “This went on for about 10 or 15 minutes,” said Ghodake.
It was a test of patience for the rescue team members as the cub sat there, surrounded by water, planning its next move, as it were. “Finally, good sense prevailed. The cub decided to step into the box which was then carefully pulled out with the spotted one seated inside,” Ghodake said, adding that they were unsure of how deep the well is.
The rescue team at the spot comprised round officer Santosh Salunke, forest guard Vivekanand Vibhute and rescue team member Deepak Mali.
Forest officials said they are not too sure how the cub could have found its way into the well. They said it possibly slipped in while strolling around with its mother the previous night. Officials did not rule out the possibility that the curious wild cat slid in through the small opening that wells have right beside the electric water pump attached to the well. It is likely that this cub is part of a litter which the mother leopard had left in the sugarcane field abutting the spot.
Soon after the cub was brought out of the well, the rescue team members placed the basket on the ground. The little one looked around for a bit as if to check if the coast was clear and then it hopped out gingerly. “And then, within seconds, it rushed into the sugarcane field where its mother and siblings were probably waiting,” said Jayaram Gowda, deputy conservator of forests. “We’re glad that this cub was rescued naturally.”