Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 7 (IANS): Eight leopard cubs abandoned in the sugarcane fields have been reunited with their mothers by the forest officials in Bijnor district.

M.Semmaran, Bijnor divisional forest officer (DFO) said that three leopard cubs were rescued from a sugarcane field in the Lakkhuwala village in Nagina, three in the Sarawa area in Dhampur and two cubs at Niyamatpur in the Akbarabad area over the past 20 days.

All have been reunited with their mothers.

Semmaran said, "We are trying our best to reunite cubs with their mothers as a leopardess may turn aggressive after getting separated from its cubs. On rare occasions, when the mother did not accept its cubs, we had to shift them to the zoo."

Now, a task force has been set up for the purpose. Cameras have been installed at various sites to monitor the cubs. Once the cubs are reunited with the mother, they are kept under observation for two days in winter and one day in summer, the DFO said.

Farmers have been asked not to harm the cubs or the big cats and inform foresters if they spot any in fields.