Maharashtra: Panic in Raigad ends after ‘leopard cubs’ turn out to be tiny wild cats

The officers’ team with the kittens. Pic/Shantanu Kuveskar

Panic gripped Sandheri village in Raigad's Mhasla taluka on November 12 after videos claiming the presence of two "leopard cubs" in a local orchard went viral across social media and television news channels. However, it turned out to be a classic case of misidentification. Forest officials confirmed that the animals are actually the young of the Rusty Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), the world's smallest wild cat species.

The kittens are healthy, and forest department officials will check if they can be reunited with their mother in the wild, or if they need temporary care before being released back into their natural habitat.

Wildlife Researcher Shantanu Kuveskar of Mangaon said similar cases are frequently reported across Maharashtra, where wild cat kittens found in farms or orchards are often mistaken for leopard cubs.

Raigad district has a stable leopard presence, but unlike other parts of Maharashtra, human-leopard conflict in the district remains relatively low due to the availability of natural habitat.

However researchers and wildlife lovers fear that rapid changes in land use, expanding human settlements, sale and development of lands, and the rise of orchards, table plots and farmhouses are steadily fragmenting wildlife habitats.