In 2019, N Temjen was walking through the forest when he came across a kitten leopard cat near a coal mining site in Khar village of Mokokchung District.
Temjen remembers seeing the kitten when it was unable to walk properly due to ‘suspected injuries in its front legs’ and appeared to have been abandoned by its mother.
“I thought the leg was broken despite the lack of a wound, so I took it home to nurse it,” he narrated.
He then described how he built a large cage-like housing for the kitten made of nets to ensure the cat’s comfort.
“I made sure it had enough space and felt comfortable and safe,” he explained, adding that the kitten healed from its injury a few days after he brought it home. “I also had to make sure it was out of reach of children,” he added.
In terms of what he used to feed the leopard, he stated that he fed the kitten chicken and fish (Pankaj).
He went on to say that he had always intended to return the cat to the wild; hence it was him who notified the Nagaland forest department.
“Because it is a wild animal, it belongs in the wild. I had always planned to send it back before Mokokchung Forest Division contacted me,” he explained.
According to Imtitongdang Ozukum, Deputy Ranger, Mokokchung Forest Division, the leopard cat was released today in Namen forest, Khar, in the presence of forest officials, CCA members, and village councils.
“We really want to thank Temjen for taking such good care of the kitten and nurturing it,” he said.
