Hand-reared leopard moved to Zoo from CWRC

A seven-year old male leopard is being shifted today to the Nagaland Zoological Park from the Centre of Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), near Kaziranga National Park. 

The Assam Forest Department and International Fund for Animal Welfare -Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) run CWRC had been taking care of the leopard since 2006, after he was found alone in a tea garden by locals and handed over to the authorities. 

Dr Anjan Talukdar, Senior Veterinarian at CWRC recalled, "He was only a few months old, shy and weak when he was ‘rescued’ from Doomdooma and brought to CWRC. Now he is fully grown, strong, healthy and even a bit aggressive. He should hopefully do well in the new environment in Dimapur.”

Sighting of leopards among other animals in tea gardens are common in Assam. "Wherever sighted, we advise the people to not pick up wild animal youngs. The mother would generally be nearby and return for them, provided that there is no disturbance. At best, inform the authorities, who can look into the situation and decide on the intervention as required," added Dr Barman.