Three orphaned leopard cubs found near Wilpattu have been handed over to the Karuwalagaswewa wildlife range office, in the Puttalam district. The cubs are all female, and about two months old.
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| The three cubs frolic outdoors |
According to sources, the cubs had been put up for sale when the chairman of the Karuwalagawewa Pradeshiya Sabha intervened.
The leopard is a protected species, and under the Flora and Fauna Act it is illegal for any person to keep a leopard in his possession. Panthera pardus kotiya is unique to Sri Lanka and is an endangered species.
The leopard cubs were found in the Tabbowa-Kaluwaragaswewa sanctuary about three days ago. Villagers believe the mother leopard may have been killed by hunters, or the unprotected cubs may have been removed when the mother was away hunting for prey.
The cubs are now in the care of Dr. Chandana Jayasinghe, Wildlife Department veterinarian for the North-Western Province. The Department of Wildlife Conservation will hand over the cubs to the National Zoological Gardens. |
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