india

Updated: Jan 09, 2019 10:27 IST

A leopard cub, who was dragged around by some unidentified locals in Kolyari village, some 150 kms from Nagpur in Gondia district of eastern Vidarbha, died on Tuesday morning at a forest department rescue centre.

A video, in which a group of villagers could be seen pulling a ‘dehydrated’ cub from bushes, dragging him around with his tail, hitting with sticks, had gone viral on Sunday. The cub was found abandoned by forest officials, who took him to its Kohmara rescue centre. “The cub succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday,” said MR Sheikh, the assistant conservator of forests.

Another sub-adult female leopard, was found abandoned in the area on Monday. This leopard was kept at the rescue centre and is reported to be out of danger. The mother leopard is missing.

Kolyari village, where the two cubs were found, falls in the buffer zone of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve corridor.

Reports reaching here late on Tuesday said some villagers dragged the cub by its tail, while others kicked and assaulted it. The cub, which was very weak attacked in self-defence. A video of the incident purportedly shows the pathetic condition of the leopard cub, aged around six months.