NAHAN: A one-month-old leopard cub trapped overnight inside a deep pit dug for installing a mobile tower pole near Jangirug on the Nahan-Sarahan-Kumarhatti National Highway (NH-907A) was safely rescued by forest officials on Friday.
The cub was trapped inside a cement pipe structure placed within the pit and was found severely dehydrated and weak. Its life was saved due to the timely alertness of two local youths and a swift rescue operation conducted by the forest department.
According to reports, Faheem and Zeeshan, residents of Kacha Tank, were traveling toward Jamta when they stopped near a parapet. While sitting there, they heard the faint cries of a small animal. Using their mobile phone flashlights, they spotted the infant leopard trapped deep inside the concrete structure.
The youths immediately alerted the forest department. Following instructions from Nahan Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Avni Bhushan Rai, Jamta Forest Range Officer Prem Kanwar, along with beat officers and forest guards, rushed to the spot.
A rescue operation lasting nearly two hours was launched. Using a JCB machine deployed at a nearby road construction site, team members carefully dug a parallel trench alongside the structure to safely extract the cub.
Jamta Range Officer Prem Kanwar stated that the cub is roughly a month old, extremely weak, and hungry. It was immediately shifted to a veterinary hospital for primary medical aid and care. Following preliminary treatment, the cub will be handed over to the Wildlife Department at Shri Renuka Ji for specialized monitoring and care.
Meanwhile, local residents pointed out that the incident could have been avoided if the deep pit had been properly barricaded or covered. They warned that leaving such open excavations unattended along highways poses a serious danger to both wildlife and commuters.
