UP school students mistake leopard cub for cat, lock it in bathroom

KANPUR: A group of schoolchildren in Etawah encountered an unusual situation on Saturday when they mistook a leopard cub for a cat and locked it in the bathroom of a gram panchayat building.
It seemed the cub, around 1-year-old, wandered away from its natural habitat in search of food, said forest officials.
The quick thinking of kids, despite their initial misidentification, prevented any harm to the cub or residents. The incident took place in the gram panchayat office in Dadara village of Etawah.
A response team comprising SDM Brahmanand Singh Katheria, police officials Ram Davan Singh and Rajendra Vikram Singh, deputy ranger Chandrabhan Singh Sengar arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.
National Chambal Sanctuary warden Krishna Chandra Shekhar and the Etawah Lion Safari team rescued the cub and sent it to the Etawah safari park. The team also conducted a health checkup of the cub before transportation.
They said that the lavatory provided an unplanned but effective containment space for the rescue operation.
Forest officials also combed the surrounding areas to ensure no other cub or adult leopard was in the vicinity.
At the safari park, the cub received proper veterinary care and monitoring. The sanctuary staff implemented necessary protocols for its rehabilitation, keeping in mind the possibility of eventual release back into suitable habitat.