Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 24 (IANS): Five newborn leopard cubs have been found in a sugarcane field under Seramau police circle in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.

The mother leopard has not been sighted and forest officials fear that she may have abandoned her cubs.

The cubs, according to officials, are less than a month-old.

Chief Forest Conservator, Bareilly zone, Lalit Verma, said the field where the cubs were found has turned into a tourist spot, with scores of villagers trooping in to see the five cubs.

"People are lifting the cubs and clicking selfies. Our priority is to protect the cubs not only from local people but also from stray dogs and jackals till they are relocated to the forest," he added.

Verma said, "I have issued immediate orders to encircle the spot concerned with the green net in order to prevent any possible access of villagers or the carnivores like stray dogs and jackals up to the little cubs. We will wait for two to three days to let the mother leopard shift the cubs to the jungle herself."

The forest staff had also been directed to spray water around the spot of cubs' hiding to keep it cool.

Incidentally, this is the same area where a 25-year-old youth had been mauled by a leopard while harvesting sugarcane two days ago.