A leopard cub rescued from the Marudhamalai foothills in Coimbatore was found dead early on December 25, 2025. The cub was saved on December 24 from a house located in the same area. District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj ordered that the cub be placed in a natural rock cave nearby to reunite it with its mother, following standard protocols. The location was closely monitored for the mother leopard's movements. At around 4:15 a.m., officials heard sounds believed to be from a leopard near the cave. When checked at 5 a.m., the cub was missing. Camera traps captured two leopards visiting the area between 1:45 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The cub left the cave at about 4:30 a.m. Forest teams searched the surroundings and found the cub at 5:30 a.m. about 300 metres away from the cave. The cub was unresponsive and died on the spot. Officials said a post-mortem will be done to determine the cause of death. This examination will follow official guidelines and include representatives from voluntary organisations.