Youth raises leopard cub for 545 days in captivity

Kulgam: A 23 year old youth from Kutbal, Kulgam in South Kashmir raised a cub for one and a half years in his house. He found the cub near his village. Ilyas Ahmad rescued two of the cubs when locals found them on the river bank in the Arigam village of Kulgam. 

“I was informed by a friend that two baby Leopards have been found by the villagers. Being interested in “taming wild animals”, I immediately rushed to the spot and saw that they were trying to cross the river,” Ilyas said. 

“Everybody was watching them but no one came for their rescue. But I stepped forward and took them in my custody,” he said. Ilyas says he is saddened at the state of affairs in Wild Life department, “because of the poor way of handling wild animals”. 

However, only one baby could survive as “other one was weak and died”. It was his love and utmost care that the cub is raised to a weight of 77 kg now. 

He named the cub as ‘Bobu’. After taming the cub for last over one year, Ilyas has handed over it to Wild Life department. “It was not possible for me to continue its taming as leopards are not domestic,” he said, “it is illegal as well.” 

The cub has been released in woods, now. Ilyas said that the Wild Life department had promised him an award and job for saving wild animals but nothing happened yet.  

“I am yet to receive any call,” he said.

In past as well, Ilyas has rescued many wild animals including two baby black bears. “I raised them for few months and then left them in woods.” As protecting wild animals has become his passion now, Ilyas advocates reforms in Wild Life department. 

“The officials need to be sensitized. It is not that every time wild animals come to kill us; they need our care as well.”

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