Alipurduar, Sept. 29: An adult female leopard was found dead in South Khayerbari Leopard Rehabilitation Centre under Cooch Behar forest division this morning.

The animal’s two cubs are now without a mother and they are not ready to be breast-fed by another female leopard living in captivity.

The forest officers said cause of Jenny’s death could be found only after the post-mortem on the body was completed. Ujjwal Ghosh, the divisional forest officer, Cooch Behar, said Jenny, rescued from Subhashini Tea Estate in 1993, was initially brought to Madarihat Leopard Rescue Centre. Later, it was shifted to Madarihat.

“The post-mortem on the body is being conducted and I will be able to comment on the cause of the death only after getting the report,” said the officer.

Although guards have kept the cubs with Seema, a lactating leopard at the centre, they were unwilling to take its milk.

The centre that was inaugurated on November 12, 2003, by Jogesh Barman, the then Bengal forest minister, has 15 leopards now. Initially, the centre had five animals —two males and three females. In the past five years, a number of cubs were born at the centre, although breeding in captivity is not allowed by the Central Zoo Authority. A few cubs have died too.

Following the frequent births of cubs, Binod, a male leopard, was put in a cage.