Kokrajhar (Assam): Moving a step forward in the novel attempt to rehabilitate hand-raised clouded leopards in India, the two cubs being looked after by the Bodoland Territorial Council – International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India (BTC-IFAW-WTI) in Kokrajhar, Assam, since March this year, were transferred to forest rehabilitation site yesterday morning. The relocation was done with the help of the Eco-Task Force of the Indian Army.

Khampa Borgoyari, Deputy Chief, BTC, who along with Dr Ian Robinson, Director, Emergency Relief Programme, IFAW, flagged off the relocation to the Kachugaon Forest Division, said that this was the first time that such an attempt was being made in the BTC. He added that the outcome was uncertain as yet, but asserted that the cubs deserved an opportunity to go back to the wild and that rehabilitation of the cubs should be given a try.

Dr Robinson said, “We are thrilled to be trying to send these cubs back to the wild. Considering their dwindling numbers, a success in this attempt would mean a decent contribution to the conservation of this species.”

The cubs – both males of about seven months – are currently in the release site in Sanfan Range, Kachugaon, where they will be taken for daily walks to acclimatise them to the wild for a soft-release.

“We are letting the cubs settle down to the new environment. Their walks will begin in a day or two. During these walks in the forest, the cubs will gradually realise their inherent wild characteristics and learn skills necessary to survive independently. Our animal keeper, Nath, will look after the cubs during this period,” said Dr NVK Ashraf, Director, Wild Rescue Programme, WTI.

With only about 10,000 individuals estimated to survive in the wild, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is one of the rarest wild cats found today. The species is classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN and is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In India, clouded leopards are found largely in the semi-evergreen and rain forests in the northeastern states.

The two cubs were confiscated in Khanthalmari Village in Kokrajhar by a team of Assam Forest Department officials led by Sonali Ghosh, DFO, Kokrajhar. They were hand-raised at the BTC-IFAW-WTI Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) field station based in Kokrajhar, by IFAW-WTI vets Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, Dr Panjit Basumatary, Dr Anjan Talukdar and animal keepers, under the guidance of Ghosh.

“We came to know about the cubs from the local villagers who asked us to come and collect them,” recalled Ghosh. “Their growth and behaviour has taken us by surprise. They were different from other wild animals that tend to get imprinted during hand-raising; their wild instincts such as hunting for food, came to the fore even under the care of humans. We are optimistic that they will be able to go back to the wild; more so because there are two of them and they will be able to learn from each other.”

Before the relocation, the cubs had been screened for communicable diseases to prevent transmission into the wild. General health examination and deworming was done by Dr Panjit Basumatary, MVS veterinarian.

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