SIMBA'S STORY
In 2021, a two-month-old cub was found near a village in Maharashtra named Kolwade, which is situated in Sangamner forest range. Due to the expansive sugarcane fields in the state, leopard mothers choose to give birth to cubs within them because high stalks of this grass provide perfect shelter to protect the cubs when their mother is away looking for food.
When villagers came across the leopard cub, they alerted the state forest department. Several attempts were made to reunite the cub with its mother, but with no sign of her, it was presumed that she had either left the area or had succumbed to an unfortunate peril. Leopard cubs need the care and guidance of their mother till they complete the first two years of their lives, during which time they learn the strategic ways to survive in the wild. Without his mother, this little cub would be left vulnerable and defenseless, and so, it was decided that he would be rehabilitated at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre.
He was named Simba after the famous animated character from the movie The Lion King. When he arrived at the centre, he had a minor tail injury that our veterinary team attended to. The injury healed well, and the leopard was hand-reared by our care team. Our goal was to preserve Simba’s natural, wild instincts and so, he was placed in a vast enclosure that resembled the forest. With enrichments that motivate him to utilise his natural foraging instincts, Simba has grown up to be healthy and strong, and is a playful and energetic leopard.
