A thirsty, hungry leopard cub wandered onto a road in search of its mother. Animal enthusiast Ankush Chauhan rescued the frightened cub, placed it in his car, and took it to the forest authorities. Officials are now seeking its mother to reunite them.

The incident took place in Kotkhai, in Shimla district, in northern India’s Himachal Pradesh, on August 9.

Visuals show that a man rescued a small leopard cub from the road, placed it in his car, and is taking it to the forest department. The leopard can be seen crying inside the car, looking for its mother.

Speaking to Newslions, Ankush Chauhan, the person who rescued the cub, stated that he had found a leopard cub on the roadside in Kathnadi Nala area of Tharola Panchayat, Kotkhai. He mentioned that he was worried stray dogs might harm the cub, so he had immediately called the DFO of the Theog Forest Department and safely handed over the cub to him.

He carefully placed the cub in his car and took it to the forest department for care. The cub, found by Ankush Chauhan from Tharola village, will now be looked after by the wildlife wing officials. After three days of observation, authorities will decide whether to send the cub to the Tutikandi rehabilitation center or release it back into the wild.

Manish Rampal, DFO of Theog, said that the leopard cub is currently healthy. The final decision will be made following a monitoring period, as directed by senior officials.

On Saturday, Ankush Chauhan found the cub close to his residence and immediately informed forest department officials before handing the animal over to their team in Theog. He also shared that he had previously rescued a bear cub and handed it to the forest department.

The video of Ankush caring for the cub has been widely shared on social media. Showing his compassion, he even brought a milk bottle to feed the young leopard. The forest department is now considering whether to keep the cub in Tutikandi or release it into the forest, with a decision expected soon.