A leopard left her three cubs in an abandoned building at Silpata village near here, sparking panic among local residents.
The cubs were first spotted by Geeta Devi, a local resident who stores fodder for her livestock in the building, when she went to bring the feed on Monday morning, Range Officer (Pithoragarh Forest Division) Dinesh Joshi said.
Suspecting the leopardess to be hiding nearby, she ran out of the building and informed the villagers, who called a Forest department team.
The abandoned building where the cubs were born is situated near Silpata Van panchayat, the officer said.
"As the building has long been abandoned, the leopardess might have found it safe to deliver the cubs there," said Joshi.
"It is the second such incident in recent years in which a leopardess gave birth near a populated area. In 2017, another leopardess delivered three cubs near our range office," he said.
The forest officer said the building has been cordoned off and is being watched constantly to save the villagers from a sudden attack by the leopardess, who might revisit her cubs.
"The cat family has a natural tendency to shift its cubs from one place to another to keep them safe. We are waiting for the leopardess to return to her cubs," said Joshi.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Video: Massive Landslide Hits National Highway In Uttarakhand, Traffic Affected Uniform Civil Code To Be Implemented In Uttarakhand In 2025: Chief Minister Massive Speed Breaker Turns Nightmare, Throws Rider Off His Scooter In Dehradun Pics: Rahul Gandhi's Family Lunch At Iconic Delhi Restaurant Is Safe Car Enough? Volvo Crash That Killed CEO, Family Sparks Big Question Snack Food Epigamia Founder Rohan Mirchandani Dies Of Cardiac Arrest At 41 Public Sector Hydropower Company Hiring For 118 Posts, Check Details Delhi's Air Quality Turns 'Severe' Despite GRAP-4 Restrictions PM Modi Meets Yoga Practitioner, Other Influencers In Kuwait Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.