Pune: A year-old, critically injured male leopard was rescued by Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department from Sangamner on Saturday morning. 

The young feline needed immediate medical intervention and had to be rushed to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for treatment.

The Wildlife SOS team operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar received an urgent call from the divisional forest officer of Sangamner, about an injured leopard that was spotted in Sangamner area. A four-member team from Wildlife SOS along with a team of forest officers reached the location to carry out a preliminary examination and on-site treatment. 

Wildlife SOS Senior Veterinarian Dr Ajay Deshmukh said the young feline’s forelimbs were paralysed and it had sustained severe wounds on the neck. “The cause of injury is yet to be determined but an attack by another leopard is a possibility. As it requires long-term treatment and care, the leopard has been transferred to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. A detailed X-ray examination is yet to be carried out, which will enable us to determine the extent of the injury. We will have to carry out a similar physiotherapy treatment which had been adopted to treat the paralyzed leopard cub, who was rehabilitated earlier this year. The cub was able to fully recover and return to the wild and we hope that this young injured leopard too is able to walk again.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO Wildlife SOS said, “I am glad our team was able to assist the Forest Department with timely intervention and saving the leopard’s life. Our dedicated team of veterinarians are carrying out the necessary treatment and closely monitoring the leopard’s condition.”