14 DAY TRIAL // A full-grown leopard on the loose caused panic among the residents of Ballarpur village, in India's Chandrapur district, on Monday, when it emerged through the rooftop of a house and charged at some workers.
The animal was reportedly hiding into a livestock enclosure which houses hundreds of cows, calves and buffalos, and ran amok when it was discovered on the rooftop of a house, attacking several people.
It is believed that the wild animal came from the nearby Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and strayed into the residential settlement in search for food. Authorities say that lately, an increased number of animals have been spotted in residential areas as a result of illegal deforestation, logging and extension of croplands and villages, which have reduced their natural habitat.
As India Today reports, wildlife activist and experienced animal rescuer Bandu Dhotre was called at the scene to try and capture the leopard safely. A team from the Forestry Department also came in to help him in the rescue operation.
However, to everyone's surprise, the animal managed to escape through a hole in the roof that was made by forestry officials specifically to tranquilize it from above. The large feline leaped 14 vertical feet (4.26 meters) to the rooftop, bit one man in the behind, chased several others and eventually took refuge in the bathroom of a small house nearby after being chased away with rods by the terrified residents.
After a four-hour standoff, Forestry Department workers managed to capture the leopard and then released it into the wild. The animal was examined by a veterinarian before that, and it didn't appear to have suffered any injuries in the incident.
Dhotre, who has rescued more than 50 wild animals so far, says that usually, large crowds of onlookers gather to witness the rescue operations, but he warns that this is an extremely dangerous activity, as the animals could get out and attack them.
“Every time a wild animal strays into human settlement, curious onlookers risk their lives to get close to the animal. Today's was not a one-off incident. [A similar incident] happened in Meerut a couple of months ago. It happens everywhere,” Dhotre told India Today in a statement.
As he mentions, a similar encounter happened in the city of Meerut, India, in February, when a leopard injured at least seven people as he wandered through the town for two days.
The latest incident was captured on camera, *but user discretion is advised when watching the video, as it contains graphic images that may disturb some viewers.
