From danger to hope: A baby leopard’s rescue in Kotkhai

In the quiet hills of Kotkhai, Shimla, compassion triumphed over fate when Ankush Chauhan spotted a fragile life clinging to survival — a leopard cub, no more than 20–25 days old, shivering in the bushes by the roadside.

For days, Chauhan and his family watched, hoping the cub’s mother would return to claim her lost little one. But hope began to fade. The cub’s tiny frame grew weaker without food and the shadows of prowling dogs drew closer. “We realised it was no longer safe for him to stay there,” Chauhan recalled, his voice heavy with concern. “It was time to act.”

On Saturday, he gently carried the cub to Theog Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Manish Rampal. “The little one was under tremendous stress,” Rampal said. “But he’s more stable now.” The DFO shared that the cub was immediately placed under the care of a veterinary doctor.

Following wildlife rescue protocol, forest officials will keep watch near the site for three days, in case the mother returns searching for her baby. If she doesn’t, the cub will be moved to a safer, permanent sanctuary — a place where he can grow without fear.

For now, in the heart of Himachal’s wilderness, a baby leopard has been given another chance at life — all thanks to the compassion of one man who refused to look away.