We all have had our share of amusing guests, come and go (well, usually). And, thanks to the Indian culture of “Atithi Devo bhava” [Guest is God] we try our best to greet and treat them well. But what happens when the unexpected visitor turns out to be a Leopard?
A family in Pimpalgaon Rotha in Maharashtra was peacefully having dinner when a massive leopard wandered into their home. The uninvited guest had followed the family’s dog into the house.
However, the family was quick to react and safely exited the premises after locking up the big cat inside their house. They then informed the forest department, who in turn, alerted the animal charity Wildlife SOS, reports News18.
When a team of three rescuers and a group of forest officers arrived at the location, they were surprised to find nearly 700 people gathered around the house trying to catch a glimpse of the majestic animal.
Dr. Ajay Deshmukh, a senior vet who was involved in the rescue operation, was quoted by The Scotsman, saying, “With a huge crowd of nearly 700 people gathered around, the rescue was extremely challenging as their presence triggered fear and distress in the leopard.”
The male leopard sitting atop a cupboard, when the rescuers opened the bedroom window. The four-year-old big cat was shot with a tranquillizer and taken for a routine check-up before it was released into the wild. The entire operation took about three hours, the website reported.
“When carrying out such sensitive rescue operations, all necessary protocols must be followed to minimize the chances of any untoward incidents,” Dr. Deshmukh added. According to him, such cases are quite common in the region hence many awareness programs are conducted to educate people about dealing with various conflict situations.
Now we all know about leopard attacks and how people bravely fight them off but imagine being joined by a ferocious leopard for dinner. Scary, isn’t it?