District Administration led by EAC Tening, Tumben P Tsanglao and forest range officer Tening, Namsibo rescued and transferred two leopard cubs from Tening village to Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP), Dimapur on August 21.
According to a DIPR report, the two leopard cubs were found on August 20 by a group of boys aged around 11-12 years from Tening village. The abandoned cubs were found in a hollowed tree by a stream adjacent to paddy fields of Tening village, the DIPR report informed.
After the cubs were reportedly brought to the village by the four boys, a government high school teacher from Tening village, Chamdinbo, informed the EAC for necessary assistance in handing over the cubs to responsible authority.
As reported by EAC Tening, the NZP officials and district forest officer (DFO) Peren initiated necessary protocols for immediate transfer of the cubs from Tening village to NZP for protection.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of growing man-animal conflict, amid the loss of habitat for big cats, the report stated.
It may be mentioned that the Indian leopard has been listed as “vulnerable” on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “Red List” due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for illegal trade of skins and body parts.