Rare Albino Leopard Cub Spotted in Ratnagiri Orchard

In a rare event, a farmer in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, discovered an albino leopard cub in his orchard. This rare sighting was reported to forest officials, who have now set up camera traps to monitor the movement of the mother leopard and her two-week-old cubs.

In Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, an intriguing discovery was made when a farmer stumbled upon an albino leopard cub nestled within his mango and cashew orchard. The sighting, described as a rarity, was confirmed by forest officials on Thursday.

Prakash Sutar, the Range Forest Officer in Ratnagiri, revealed that the farmer encountered two leopard cubs in total, one of which was the unusual albino variety, during his routine check at Dabhole village in Sangmeshwar taluka. The diligent farmer promptly informed the forest department and provided photographs as evidence.

The initial observations indicate the cub is less than two weeks old, accompanied by its mother. Forest authorities have deployed camera traps to track the movements of the leopards. While black panther sightings have become relatively frequent in this region, an albino leopard remains a rare phenomenon.

(With inputs from agencies.)