Coimbatore : A three-month old leopard cub, in search of its mother in the estate areas of Valparai, was rescued by forest officials and was in their custody.

Based on information given by some estate workers about the movement of the cub, officials managed to catch it last evening and took it to forest wildlife management and rescue centre.

The department was keeping vigil, following reports about the movement of a leopard with three cubs and eating a cow recently in the area. The cub will be kept in a cage where the leopard was last seen so as to track its movement officials said, adding that necessary steps would be taken to prevent the animal coming to human habitat.

Separately, a three-year-old deer which strayed into the human habitat in and around Maruthamalai on the city outskirts for the last three days, was released into the jungle late last night, they added.