A group of villagers in India came together in an attempt to save a dangerous leopard that had been injured, and the results were perhaps somewhat predictably dire.
Video of the rescue attempt has found its way to the internet and has gained some viral attention, showing the villagers attempting to secure the animal by the bank of a river. As an older man reached to secure and to grab the leopard, the animal suddenly lunged forward and sank its teeth into the man’s arm. The man struggled to get away — and was able to break loose briefly — before the animal grabbed hold of him again. This prompted his fellow rescuers to hit the injured animal with giant tree logs that they had been using in the rescue attempt.
The rescue gone wrong has now attracted some international attention, including a story in the U.K.’s Daily Star offering a play-by-play of what went wrong in the attempt.
“Jagdish Singh, 50, then tries to wrap string round his paws and head – in the hope of pulling it free… But as he gets closer the leopard lunges at him and clamps its deadly jaws onto his hand… Jagdish screams in agony as other villagers try to pull him free.”
Video of the failed leopard rescue has also garnered some snarky comments, with many wondering why they would attempt to save such a dangerous animal — and especially why they would do so without tranquilizing the animal first.
The encroachment of leopards into residential areas has been a major concern in India, with the Deccan Herald reporting that officials have called on a man named Sanjay Gubbi to capture — and rescue — some of the animals that wander too close to human encampments.
Much like the riverside rescue this week, it hasn’t always gone smoothly for Gubbi.
“It was during one such rescue operation at Vibgyor School in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru, in 2016, that Gubbi was attacked by a leopard,” the report noted. “With nothing to protect him, the leopard left Gubbi severely injured. Staffers at NCF opine that he escaped from the jaws of death. The leopard had chipped at his right humerus bone, besides biting him at various places. Due to multiple surgeries, Sanjay had to be away from the field and research work for almost a year.”
A villager in Bageshwar, India, was attacked by a leopard while trying to rescue the injured animal https://t.co/5aQ0wSUPJY
— New York Post (@nypost) October 5, 2018
Those who want to see video of the failed leopard rescue can find it at the Daily Star , but be warned that the footage contains some graphic scenes that may be disturbing to viewers.
