The Reunion to admire and remember

By Narendra Kumar Chouhan and Vikas Singh Baghel

Nothing is impossible if the deed is done with full dedication and honesty. Nature itself is a very impossible thing and so are its acts either living or non-living they are unbelievable most of the times.

I would like to share a short but successful story of a leopard cub reuniting with mother which recently happened near the rawatpura beat in Berasia forest division of Bhopal Madhya Pradesh. Leopards are barely seen in the jungle they are shy in nature and are majorly active at night to avoid any conflict with the top predator Tiger. MP recently became the leopard state too with Around 3421 leopards, 26% of total leopard population in India. Due to their adaptive nature and behavioural flexibility, they are reported to persist in the human dominated landscape and hence are more prone to human-wildlife conflict.

The information of leopard cub who fell into the well of resident of rawatpura at 11am on 6th April 2021 was received from fellow villagers, quick action was taken by the forest department to rescue the same, higher officials were informed and so was the police to control the mob (Public). The forest officials after the formal rapid visit arranged to lower down the cage into the well along with forest guard Mr. Munesh Saundhiya, he dragged the cub inside the cage without any injuries. After the successful rescue the news of the same was shared with the higher officials and as per the instructions of Conservator of forest Mr. Ravindra Saxena the cage was kept in forest area with the arrangement of opening the gate of the cage when necessary with the rope through pulley system. The rope was tied to the forest vehicle so that the gate of the cage can be opened by moving the vehicle. All the arrangements were done on the same day by 7 PM. The forest officials waited inside the vehicle for the mother leopard thereafter, at around 9:50 PM they heard the growl of leopard and the cub responded to that, when they were making sound to identify and locate each other slowly the cage gate was opened and the cub was freed. The forest officials assured by checking through torch light, their walk inside the jungle together. The reconfirmation of them not coming back was done next day morning too and hence it summarises the successful reunion of leopard cub and the mother. With the quick action of forest department the cub was rescued healthy, and the plan of reunion was well executed and they were together again the same day. Thanks to all the officials of forest department who were directly or indirectly associated with the rescue and then release. Special thanks to Mr. Munesh Saundhiya (Forest Gaurd), Mr. Roop Singh Uikey (Range Assiatant Harrakheda), Mr. Pramod Malviya (Crack Team Incharge) for making this a grand success within time. Hope to witness this coordination of forest department and the local community, the villagers who responded in time and helped thereafter too in execution.

All the arrangements were done on the same day by 7 PM. The forest officials waited inside the vehicle for the mother leopard thereafter, at around 9:50 PM they heard the growl of leopard and the cub responded to that, when they were making sound to identify and locate each other slowly the cage gate was opened and the cub was freed.