Leopard cub found dead during reunion attempt near Marudhamalai in Coimbatore

A leopard cub rescued from the Marudhamalai foothills in Coimbatore was found dead in the early hours of Thursday, December 25, 2025, during the Forest department’s efforts to reunite it with its mother, officials said.

The cub, which was rescued from a house on the Marudhamalai foothills on Wednesday, December 24, was placed in a cave-like structure constructed using natural rocks from the adjoining forest area as per the instructions of District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj. This was done as part of standard reintroduction protocols and the area was kept under constant monitoring to assess the movement of the parent leopard.

Forest officials said that sounds believed to be leopard sounds were heard near the cave around 04.15 in the morning. When the structure was checked around 05:00 in the morning, it was confirmed that the cub was no longer inside.

Later, when the camera trap footage was examined, it was seen that two leopards visited the area near the cave between approximately 1.45 am and 04.30 am. The footage also stated that the cub came out of the cave around 4.30 in the morning.

Later, two teams of forest personnel were assigned to search the surrounding forest area. The cub was found lying about 300 meters away from the cave-like structure at around 5.30 in the morning. Upon closer examination, officials confirmed that the cub was unresponsive and died.

Forest officials said that the exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy. Authorities added that the autopsy will be carried out in accordance with the determined rules and in the presence of representatives of voluntary organizations.