And where is Neelam? Where did she flee with her cubs? 

For those of you who have read the story about Neelam, you know what I’m talking about. For those who didn’t, you might want to enlighten yourself by knowing who Neelam is. Read: THE FEROCIOUS NEELAM 

The story must’ve left you hanging about what happened to Neelam & the cubs? Why did Marshal kill his own cub? 

“Deceit is the false road to happiness; and all the joys we travel through to vice, like fairy banquets, vanish when we touch them”, said Aaron Hill. Nobody likes being deceived. As humans, we deceive ourselves when we continue to do something even though it’s wrong. It is the outcome of our desires, our needs, and the proves the ability of our minds being able to think carefree.  

A leopard kills his cub only if the cub is trying to take over his territory. According to the behavior of leopards observed throughout the years, it has also been concluded that a leopard might also kill a cub if he finds out that the cub is not his own. The other reasons such as a fight for food, or to mate with the female might have been considerate if the cubs were a little older in this case. For 3 consecutive months, I searched for Neelam throughout the Jawai. There were times when I moved back and forth between Marshal’s spot and Neelam’s old spots.  

However, I had not turned down any single possibility. The reason could have been anything. In those moments, Neelam was the topmost priority. I was extremely frightened each time I had a thought about her. I was worried if something might’ve happened to her or the cubs. After a few days, there was a news about a bull that got killed by a group of 4 leopards, which put the whole village on guard. Not being a sadist here, but I honestly prayed that one of these leopards was Neelam. When I reached the spot of Rautela Dam, my eyes witnessed a sight so rare, so unbelievable and something that was never seen in Jawai before! 

~Neelam, along with her two cubs, was sitting with another male leopard, Cuteyar. A sight involving a group of 4 leopards seen together was beyond understanding. But this whole sight led to a single conclusion~ Cuteyar was the father of Neelam’s 2^nd litter of 3 cubs, which could solely be the reason for Marshal killing the cub! These answer to all my questions, to months of metaphorically banging my head against the possibilities of Marshal’s unethical killing was right in front of my eyes.   

Cuteyar was Ziya’s mating partner ~ another female leopardess. He is a strong, and an old male. Both of them were spotted mating numerous times. The Rautela Dam spot lies right in the middle of Neelam’s & Ziya’s territory. After Marshal killed Neelam’s cub, she moved to Cuteyar’s place. Although Marshal, being an egoistic leopard full of vengeance, came back to Rautela Dam to fight Cuteyar and kill the remaining cubs. However, Cuteyar defeated him. And Marshal ran away. He was never seen again in that territory. The cubs, along with their mother seemed to continue living there until the cubs grew old enough to be separated from their mother and go their own ways. Cuteyar had also moved to Ziya’s territory.   

Neelam had always been ferociously smart leopardess. Each time she gives birth to a litter, she tends to leave them in the same territory she raised them and moves forward to search for a mating partner. All in all, she seems to have built a huge territory for herself. Till today, she moves around all the territories fearlessly, as if they belong to her. Also, after a cub is 1-2 years old; they seem to have lost their relations with their fathers and mothers. When they’re old enough to mate, they are merely just two leopards looking for partners to mate (in case of a male & a female), or fight with each other (in case when two males fight over a female). Relationships seem to have lost their meaning.  

Neelam’s 3^rd litter of cubs were born from Heera, the male leopard from her 1^st litter. This was when she moved to Raghunathpura Village, nearby Varawal. Her 3^rd litter of 2 cubs, have also grown and been separated from Neelam. The cycle of constant mating, reproducing litters of cubs, and separation, has been observed multiple times throughout the years. For as long as a leopard is alive, it is known to broaden its territory. They’re ghostly animals, who tend to live in tranquility and solidarity for as long as their life permits. Neelam, for example, was spotted mating with Heera again and we have been waiting for a 4^th litter now. Hence, the cycle never stops. A female like her, so smart & clever could be delivering her 4^th litter of cubs anytime now.   

Comment below if you’re eager to see another picture of Neelam’s 4^th litter! 

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~