In September 2021, the RESQ Charitable Trust rescue team posted a heartwarming Instagram post.
A female wild rusty-spotted cat got separated from her babies in a sugarcane field in India. With their help, the mother cat and her babies were reunited.
Near the district of Pune, India, a local farmer noticed a pair of small wild cats on his land and notified local authorities.
That’s no leopard cub
Due to the similarities in coat pattern, a few of the locals in the community mistakenly labeled the kitten species as leopard cubs.
The RESQ Wildlife team and Maharashtra Forest Department were able to hatch a plan to reunite the kittens with their mother.
One part of the team surveyed the location and set up cameras, while the other portion had the kitten’s health checked by a veterinarian. They made sure to have the kittens fed and hydrated safely.
Fortunately, the kittens were relatively active and fit, so they returned them to the site and placed them in a dome-shaped nest covered with straw and earth materials.
The team took steps to unite the kittens with their mother and left cameras rolling during the night. The first attempt failed but the second time turned out to be a charm.
On day two, as nightfall approached, the group watched as the mother came looking for her kittens. Hearing her babies make noise and cry out helped the mother cat to locate her offspring.
She found her babies and grabbed them, quickly scurrying away to safety. She grabbed each kitten separately and vanished into the sugarcane thickets.
The operation was a success thanks to the seamless cooperation of the locals and the RESQ Wildlife Team.
Rusty-spotted wild cats are not pets
Oftentimes people mishandle exotic animal species putting stress on people and the animals. Luckily, in this case, the opposite is true. This story proves that it is essential to leave the handling of wild animals to professionals.
There is not an abundance of information about the rusty-spotted cat, a species that originates from the countries of India and Sri Lanka.
Rusty-spotted cats are one of the world’s smallest species, they are typically smaller than a domesticated house cat, and their coat pattern mimics that of a leopard.
They are very small in size, and their weight ranges from 0.9 kg to 1.6 kg. Their body length spans just 35 to 48 centimeters.
The population of rusty-spotted wild cats is decreasing, their population worldwide is now less than 10,000. You can learn more about this unique breed by visiting the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC).
Wrap up
The mother-child bond extends beyond the human connection. With the help of rescuers, this rusty-spotted mother cat was reunited with her kittens safely.
You can learn more about the RESQ Wildlife team by visiting their website or Instagram page.
Have you heard of this rare small wild cat before? Did this inspiring story resonate with you?
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