This is the heartwarming moment three starving leopard cubs were rescued after being orphaned when their mother died.
Farm workers were harvesting crops when they heard the animals whining hungrily from the fruit field in Chumphon, southern Thailand last Wednesday (March 27) morning.
The first kitten was discovered shivering in a bush while the other two cubs were hiding behind a boulder. They were estimated to be around two weeks old.
Farm owner Jatuporn Pangdamrongpanitch, 39, and his workers said they smelled the body of the dead mother and after finding her immediately began searching for other youngsters.
Jatuporn said he carried the orphaned wild animals home because they were very weak and hungry.
He said: ‘’The cubs looked very frightened and exhausted like they were running away from something. Luckily, they weren’t afraid of humans and let us carry them.’’
Jatuporn put the cubs in the box to feed them milk, water, and get rid of lice. He later contacted the local wildlife officers for assistance.
Officers of the Krom Luang Chumphon Wildlife Sanctuary came to take the wild leopards for a check-up before being handed over to Phang Nga Wildlife Conservation Station for further care.
Pornchai Sitthikorn, the Senior Forestry Officer of Krom Luang Chumphon Wildlife Sanctuary, said it was rare to find leopard cubs due to their declining numbers in the wild.
He said: ‘’Leopard cats are wild animals that are protected by the law. They are nearly extinct since there are only 50 individuals living in Chumphon."
