'Human intervention will worsen man-animal conflict'

With an increase in leopard cubs being ‘rescued’ and brought to Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) in recent days, zoo authorities have issued a set of guidelines in this regard.

Noting that such rescues will only hurt the conservation efforts, they suggest that the primary objective of the Forest department staff and farmers must be re-unite the cubs with their mother, than ‘rescue’ them.

During the past 10 days, Mysuru Zoo has received three leopard cubs, which were found in sugarcane fields in the district. Two cubs, which were found in K R Nagar taluk were just 10 days old and hadn’t even opened their eyes. Without keeping the cubs under observation, local Forest authorities and farmers decided to shift them to the Zoo.

Another cub was brought to the Zoo, after it was found in a field near T Narsipur. Even though the cub was kept under observation with a hope of reuniting it with its mother, Forest department personnel were forced to shift it as its health deteriorated.

Unwanted intervention of humans, with respect to cubs found in field, officials say, will worsen the conflict between man and leopards. A set of guidelines have now been issued by Executive Director of Mysuru Zoo B P Ravi. He said, taking the cubs away from its mother will allow leopard population to increase further, worsening the conflict.

“The best thing to do, if people find leopard cubs in a field, is to leave them alone,” he said. Lesser the intervention of humans, more the chances of the mother taking back its cubs. Quoting an incident of 2010, he said, leopard cubs that were found in a field in T Narsipur were taken back by their mother within 36 hours.

Another concern is that the separation of cubs from the mother will only increase the population of leopards, one of the most adaptable cat species in the world. “If a leopardess has cubs, it will not give birth again for a period of two to three years. If new born cubs are separated from their mother, it will give birth within the next year and a half,” he added.

Taking away every leopard cub found in a field to the nearest zoo is not going to help conservation efforts, he said. Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru division, V Karikalan said, two leopard cubs were shifted to Bannerghatta National Park in March, while one was transferred to Mysuru Zoo recently. Three leopard cubs, which were found in a sugarcane field in S Kallahalli, Mysuru taluk in the month of September, succumbed to cold stroke and starvation, despite observing them in the field hoping that the leopardess would take them away.

He said, there is awareness regarding the Wildlife Protection Act in rural areas, which prevented the villagers from taking the cubs away. “However, there is a tendency to take the cubs away from the spot where they were found and taking their photographs, which makes it harder for the department to reunite the cubs with their mother,” he said.
Earlier, all leopard cubs found were indiscriminately killed by villagers. Now, the people have awarenesss, he added.